Hold Me Tight, Don't Let Go
by weixuan18
Summary: KH3. Chasers, four down, many more to go. The heart is the mightiest weapon of them all huh? Maybe, falling in love wasn't so bad after all... [SoraxKairi] [RoxasxNamine] [RikuxNevaeh] Humor, angst, romance, and action all wrapped up. Enjoy! [Hiatus]
1. I Love You

**_A/N: Hey guys, this story is like a sequel to KHII, least in my mind. It takes place about six months from the arrival of the King's letter. Pairings of course are Sora x Kairi, Roxas x Namine, possibly more. This could be an Oneshot, I dunnoe. Tell me if you like it by reviewing. If you want it to continue, you better review. XD_**

**_Disclaimer: What I would not give to own KH……_**Sniff

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Hold Me Tight & Don't Let Go

Chapter 1: I Love You

"I cannot believe this!"

"Kairi……"

"How could you do this to me?"

"Kairi……"

"Didn't you promise me not to venture on your own again? Didn't we swear that the 3 of us shall travel together after what happened?"

"Kairi……you have to understand……"

"NO!! I've stressed it a million times! Why? Why?"

"Look……"

"Sora! Why? I'm not just a little girl anymore! I know what heartless are! I'm a princess of Heart for god's sake! Why won't you let me go with you?!"

"Kairi………we've been through this a million times. It's dangero…"

"I know the danger that they pose! That's more the reason to go with you! What if you suddenly disappeared again! Like two years ago? What if you left us all forever?"

And she broke down. Right in front of Sora, she broke down. She just couldn't stand it any longer. She hated this. She hated him leaving every time without telling her. She hated not being able to see him whenever she felt lonely. She hated having to worry about him. She felt so helpless; she was never of any help. In a way, she was ashamed of herself. Ashamed at her weakness, her helplessness and her vulnerability. She wanted to let it all out. The stress she's been feeling for so long, the worry that has been bottled up every time Sora left.

She loved him. She loved him, yet she hated him. He never trusts her, and for that, she hated him. He never trusts her ability, he always thinks she's just a normal girl, and is unable to fight. For all this, she hated him. Yet, the things he did for her……made her fall in love with him uncontrollably. He had sacrificed so much just to make sure she was safe. He traveled all over the universe, just to find her. He had to go through so much trouble to save her. And for this, she felt guilty. She felt guilty for being in his way all the time. All of Sora's enemies used her as 'bait'. So in a way, it was her fault if Sora ever got hurt.

What she didn't know, was that, at that particular moment, a seething blonde girl was yelling at a certain spike-haired blonde guy too. Maybe, that was why she felt so angry, like she almost wanted to burst. She smiled inwardly; at least Namine felt the same way as her.

* * *

_**With Namine and Roxas**_

"_You……you……you……IDIOT!" _

"_Now, Namine……"_

"_Don't 'now' me! How……I TOLD YOU BEFORE! Didn't I?"_

_A shocked Roxas was trying his best to calm down a very enraged memory witch._

"_Namine! What's the big deal, we only went on a really easy mission that lasted for what, er…how many days?"_

"_TWO WEEKS!"_

"_Right……it's just two we……"_

"_How dare you say that Roxas! How dare you!"_

"_Alright, I get the picture, can we not be yelling at each other?" _

"_NO! Why didn't you take me too?!"_

"_Hey, don't blame me, blame Sora. Wasn't my fault."_

"_Yes it is! You could have convinced him to take Kairi! It's all your fault!" _

"_Now that's unfair!"_

"_Did you even know how worried I was? I couldn't even sleep for nights!"_

"_Well, okay, I apologized, didn't I?"_

_And the bickering went on……

* * *

_

_**Back with Sora and Kairi……**_

Sora hated this. He hated having to see Kairi cry. His heart wrenched at his chest. He couldn't take it. He had explained to her so many times, it was DANGEROUS. Doesn't that mean anything to her? If anything, anything at all, happened to her, he would not know what to do. Probably, killing himself would be the best solution. Right now, he just wanted to cradle her in his arms, to hug her, to erase all her sorrows. But he can't, he dared not. He was afraid that he wouldn't be able to control himself.

Sora was in love with Kairi for as long as he could remember. Ever since she moved to the island, and they carved their faces on the rocks in the secret place, he knew that, she was going to be the only one in his heart, forever. The love he had for her was simple and clean to say the least. God, he loved her. She looked so vulnerable now, so in need of someone to love her, to care for her, to comfort her, but he knew, that the guy that would do all that, would not be him.

Why? He can't. He was on missions every now and then to save the worlds that were continuously infected by heartless, which was all thanks to Maleficent. In fact, the latest mission involved taking her out, if that was even possible. Sora sighed at that memory……

* * *

_**During the mission**_

"_Now die!" roared Sora as he landed the final strike on Maleficent, successfully depleting all of her health, leaving her powerless to resist. Riku followed up his attack and succeeded in……well, demolishing the evil witch. _

"_Ha, Sora, you're still too weak! That blow should have been able to kill her! Do I have to do all the work for you?" He laughed in amusement._

"_Shut up. Why don't you try it the next time? Beating up a major boss like her is no easy pie. Now that I think of it, why is it always me that takes them on, what were you doing anyway?" Sora raised an eyebrow."_

"_Oh, I was taking care of those Large Bodies over there, in case you didn't notice. The shockwaves they kept sending your way might have hinted their presence, in case you didn't notice." _

"_I was too busy dealing with that fearsome witch to take notice damnit!" _

_Just as Sora was about to reply, the same maniacal laugh filled their ears and both keyblade wielders looked disbelievingly towards the spot where Maleficent died, only to see her standing there, perfectly unharmed. _

"_WHAT THE HELL?!" _

"_I don't think I believe what my eyes are seeing right now." Riku clapped his hand to his forehead, but his hair made sure that never happened._

"_Dear, dear, did I forget to mention that if you even so slightly as think of me, and fear me, in the presence of my cloak, I am able to regenerate?" Maleficent smiled her evil……smile. _

"_SORA! You just HAD to call her fearsome didn't you?" _

"_You started it Riku! If you didn't talk about the crap you did, I wouldn't have said that she was fearsome!" _

"_No, you had to open your big fat mouth and whimper!"_

"_It was your fault!"_

"_Nope, I would say it was yours!"_

"_Hell no!"_

"_Oh yeah?"_

"_YEAH!"_

"_You asking for a fight?"_

"_BRING IT THEN!"_

_And suddenly, to Maleficent's surprise, both keyblades lodged perfectly in her chest. "What…argh! You……you little……arghhhh!!!" And again, she faded._

"_Okay Maleficent, this time, I'll be sure to mention, YOU ARE USELESS!" _

_Riku was laughing at the witch's stupidity. How typical. He cannot believe that he used to follow her orders. _

_And as he continued to stare at Sora's cheeky face, which had a look that said, 'I defeated her, not you, I win.' Riku innocently popped a sentence that shocked not only Sora, but Roxas to the core. _

"_I'll make sure Kairi hears about all your heroic deeds Sora." And with that, he left, laughing out loud as Sora stood rooted to the spot, jaw glued to the ground.

* * *

_

_**Back again……**_

Sora could not believe that Riku actually told Kairi about ALL the details of their mission. That included getting bombarded by thousands of lasers sent at them while they were in their gummi ship Highwind. Nearly getting wasted by ambush after ambush of Morning stars. Fighting Maleficent a whole ten times before finally defeating her, without the assurance that she was gone for good. And the fact that Sora lied saying that he went to Twilight Town to visit Hayner and his gang.

As expected, Sora was left to deal with a very angry Kairi after school. He could still remember Riku's smirk, "You're gonna thank me for this." Sora just couldn't see how he was going to settle the problem. He was faced with two options: _(1) He could just stand there acting like a total insensitive jerk while Kairi cried her heart out _OR _(2) Comfort her and risk losing control of his hormones. _

Well, neither seemed pleasing, yet he had to do something. Therefore, inwardly, he was asking Roxas for help. "Help me out here!"

"_What the heck! I can barely save myself!"_

"Oh, Namine's mad too?"

"_Uh huh."_

"So what do we do?"

"_Man, they both are stubborn aren't they?"_

"Right, guess we have to follow our own cues now……"

"_Wish you luck…even though I need it too."_

Sora took a deep breath, and finally he took a step towards Kairi.

"Get lost! Don't come near me you liar!"

Sora ignored her. He continued to move towards her and in one swift move, he grabbed her arm and pulled her into a gentle embrace. She was struggling hard, "Let got of me! Let go! You……you bully! Let……let……sniff……"

Sora stood his ground and just let Kairi hit him. He merely stood there, hugging her, accepting whatever she did to him. He understood, that Kairi need to release the tension that's been building up for a while. His heart ached as she cried into his chest. And suddenly, he doesn't care anymore. All that he knows, is that he wants her to be happy, to be joyful and therefore, he did something he never thought he would be able to do in a million years.

He tenderly lifted Kairi's chin, and stared into her eyes. He could see the hurt reflected from her beautiful cerulean eyes. He heard Kairi whimper his name and slowly, he leaned in, and kissed her on the lips.

Kairi was totally shocked by his actions, yet, was it just shock? The answer immediately became clear as she responded to his kiss and returned his love. She kissed him back.

Now this, was something Sora did not expect. Yet, he smiled during the kiss and found an opening before his tongue slowly began to explore her mouth. She moaned in pleasure with this sudden 'attack', but that just served to open up another entry point in her mouth for Sora's tongue. The kiss was everything but shy, it was such a passionate kiss, Sora loved her, and he wanted her to know that right now, not caring if she rejects him, not caring if she hates him. This was the only chance he had, and he's not wasting it.

Finally, they both stopped, foreheads touching, gasping for breath. Sora flashed his famous grin at Kairi, "Does that serve to be a good apology?"

Kairi blushed a deep crimson before replying in a joyous voice, "Unfortunately, I don't think that's enough." And this time, she pulled him in for another kiss. Interestingly, Sora didn't object. (_A/n: yeah, I wonder why? _x3)

After the kiss, Sora hugged her tightly and said in a serious voice, "Kairi, I love you." Kairi immediately looked up at him, eyes full of happiness. Sora noticed it, smiled and went on, "I love you ever since the day I met you. And because I love you, I cannot allow you to be in any sort of danger. I……I wouldn't know what to do. I……I couldn't live without you. I'm sure of it. That's why Kairi, please, forgive me?"

Kairi almost melted into his embrace. Her heart was beating faster than she had ever known it to be. She was overjoyed by his confession; it was like a dream come true. She had always dreamt that Sora would be her Prince Charming that would protect her at all costs. She was happy that Sora saved her but at first doubted that was because of love, but now, she knew, without a doubt, that Sora loved her as much as she loved him.

"Sora, I……" She whispered softly in Sora's ear, "I love you too." And when she looked at his face, she easily saw the surprise she gave him, yet, she saw something else too. Something called bliss, and the reason, well, let's just say after hearing a certain redhead confess her love to him made his brain acknowledge a simple fact: Love is the best thing that ever happened to him.

* * *

_**First chap done! Yay! Lol. Review please! Oh, and if you want a pairing for Riku, you have to nominate someone. It can be an OC if you guys want to. Anyways, if you guys like it, I'll update the next chap pretty soon. So until next time! LOL. So cliché. XD**_


	2. Dream Come True

_**A/N: Thanks to all those that reviewed. You really made my day. Here is chapter 2. I hope to be able to let this story continue for like 30 chapters…at least. So pweease!! Support needed! XD**_

**_Disclaimer: Even a 5-year old can tell that I don't own KH, and that's saying something.

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_**

Hold Me Tight, Don't Let Go

Chapter 2: Dream Come True

The sunset in Destiny Islands never looked so beautiful. Sure, Sora has seen sunsets in like ten different worlds, yet this time. It was special. Why? Because, finally, this time, he gets to enjoy it with his one and only love, Kairi. Yep, after confessing to Kairi, the two of them decided to spend the day on the island quietly, not wanting anyone to ruin their sacred moment.

And indeed, everything was fine, in fact, the afternoon was such a success that Sora felt that Riku might have had something to do with it. Oh well, as long as he doesn't interrupt them, maybe he would thank him later. Yet, a certain redhead soon took his mind off stuff as her head gently rested on his shoulder.

It felt like a dream. He swore, he had at least pictured this scene billions of times, yet, this time, he has to repeatedly emphasize to himself that it was true. With Kairi by his side, Sora's heart can win any race in any world without difficulty. He grinned and turned Kairi towards him. He gently moved the crimson hair out of her face and gazed into those cerulean eyes once more. God; was she pretty.

Kairi was sure she had never blushed this much since she first met Sora. Yet, it felt good to be blushing this much. Now, at least, she would have a reason to hold hands with Sora when they go out. At this thought, she giggled, which caused Sora to look at her with an amused look on his face. Kairi flicked her finger on his forehead and stared at him in mock anger, before asking, "What's with that expression on your face?"

Sora blushed, maybe he stared at her a little too long, yet, he was curious as to her sudden giggle, and he really wanted to know what made her laugh.

"Um…well, you sort of, giggled all of a sudden, and I was just wondering what's the cause."

Kairi sighed, and smiled, "You never beat around the bush do you?"

Sora raised an eyebrow, "Um…is that bad?"

Kairi immediately shook her head, "No. That's what I like about you." And she continues to smile at Sora, making him go red in an instant.

Sora would never guess what she was thinking. In fact, Kairi made up her mind to never tell Sora. Well, here's the thing, back in Destiny High, Sora and Riku have been unanimously voted by ALL the girls, to be the hottest boys in the school. Now this made Kairi a little upset. Why? Because:

(1) Girls flock around Sora all day long, and therefore, there is less chance for her to chat with him.

(2) Whenever she's with Sora, other girls would glare at her. Not that she cared, but it was getting kind of annoying.

(3) Girls were asking Sora out on an hourly, no, make that minutely basis. And that just totally ticks her off. Yet, at that time, she has no right to be jealous. But now……hehehehehe. At this, she starts to giggle uncontrollably.

Now, note that Sora was watching her all this time, and there's this part of him that _seriously_ want to know what's going on, whereas, the other part is telling him, _no, I must respect Kairi's decisions. She'll tell me if she wants to. _While he was having this internal battling, Kairi suddenly asked him, "Do you have anything with today's date on it?"

"Er……" Sora thought hard, well, their school bags weren't here. And well, the only thing with today's date on it would be…nothing.

"I don't think I do. Why?"

"Oh, it's nothing."

"Come on; tell me already, the suspense is killing me."

"Awww……no way. It's my little secret. Hehehe…"

Sora pouted, "Kairi………"

"Okay. I just wanted a souvenir. That's all that I can tell you."

"Oh, well, let's see, there's still time……right. Let's make a deal. I do something you'll love and ……" Sora grinned slyly.

"No, I'll not tell you what it's for!"

"Awww…man!"

And they would continue arguing.

* * *

**_Meanwhile, with the other couple however, it was amazingly quiet._**

_Roxas really, really wanted to thank Sora. Whatever he did, Namine was now gently caressing his cheek while he lay on her lap. There bickering finally seized as Namine's anger disappeared quite suddenly. Namine now wore a perfect smile on her face as she looked at Roxas' oh so handsome face. She loved being around him. She still didn't truly forgive him, that's for sure, but his innocent face, sigh, it's just impossible to stay mad at him for long. _

_She suddenly started to blush. She remembered how Roxas made her forgive him, temporarily at least. Roxas had wiped away her tears tenderly with his fingers and slowly, he pulled her into a tight embrace, before whispering the words, "I'm truly sorry Namine. Please, forgive me." She was touched, it wasn't really his fault anyway, but she just felt mad at him. And now, here they are looking a gorgeous sunset, and they were sure nothing could fell their high spirits. Yet, something just doesn't feel right. _

_And finally, Roxas voiced his thoughts, "Namine?"_

"_Um…?"_

"_Do you ever feel that this is unfair?"_

_Namine fully understood what he meant, yet chose to play along, "What's unfair?"_

"_We being nobodies." _

"_Well……"_

_Roxas now got up and stared her straight in the eye, "Well?"_

_Namine bit her lip, no matter how she refused to think of it, she knew the answer, "Yes, I think it is." _

"_See! I knew it. It's no fair that we can only see each other when those two are together. If only we could stay like this forever, that would be great you know?" _

_Namine sighed, that was what she was hoping for. But right now, she didn't want to think about it. She just wanted to enjoy the time they have together, thoroughly. Roxas, as if reading her thoughts, hugged her again. _

_Namine suddenly felt the urge to cry. She knew it was unfair, yet, she didn't want it to be. She wanted to have her own life, not stay within another girl and watch what happens. She deserves to be able to be like Kairi, going to a school, hang out with friends etc. And with that thought, she began to weep. _

_Roxas knew what was going to happen when he asked that question. He sighed before forcing himself to grin, "Come on, Namine! Don't waste our time together crying!" And with that, he comforted her, wiping away her tears, and whispered, "How many times do I have to tell you, tears do not go with your face, and using Axel's words, got it memorized?" _

_At that, Namine burst out laughing, even though it was only for a short time. She soon stopped and her lips quivered as she gazed at Roxas, "Please……promise me……never leave me Roxas! Never leave me again……I don't want to be alone! We are the only nobodies left! If you had an accident or something, I'll be all by myself in this world. I don't want that! So please……please……" _

_Roxas' tears were threatening to fall, but he kept them at bay. He knew that if he cried too, Namine might cry even harder. He must be strong, "Namine. I promise." Now, Namine was close to throwing a tantrum, "That's what you always say!" _

_Roxas sighed and smiled, he had the perfect idea how to make a girl believe what you say. Just one simple action. Real simple. Something involving your mouth. And that's exactly what Roxas did. He kissed Namine for the first time, on the lips. Namine gasped in shock but did not draw back. In fact, she kissed him back. Yet, this lasted for only a few seconds, as Roxas pulled away, grinning like a Cheshire cat, "NOW do you believe me?" _

_Namine was blushing several shades of red, and stuttering, "I…you…we…I…" _

"_So you did like it! I knew it! I knew I was a good kisser!" _

"_WHAT! Oh! I oughta! You skater boy, leave me alone!" _

"_Oops, hey, that wasn't what I meant it to be like!" _

"_You purposely drew away didn't you! You made me wa…wan…" _

"_Uh-huh, go on…go on…" Roxas definitely had the upper hand this time. Namine was beyond angry. Roxas was teasing her. Her, Namine. How dare he. Oh, he's going to pay… _

_But at that time, Roxas already noticed her expression change from coyness to anger, therefore, he used plan B, which he prepared all along. He pulled her into a deep kiss this time, erasing all her thoughts of revenge. And Namine had to admit, it was a great tactic. What's more, Roxas tasted a lot like sea-salt ice cream. Good stuff.

* * *

_

_**Back with Sora and Kairi……**_

Both of them had suddenly felt sadness for a brief moment, yet now, they began to realise that a certain red spot has been staying on their cheeks for quite some time.

Sora slowly stood up and stared at the ocean. He knew what happened, and this has been going on in his mind for way too long. He had heard Roxas grumble about not being able to see Namine freely loads of times. And that has always etched into his heart deeply. He had been thinking of a way. Yet, he wasn't sure whether it would work. But now, he knew that it had to be done. It wouldn't be fair if he and Kairi can be with together freely, whilst those two can't.

He turned to Kairi and smiled, "Come on Kairi, tonight, we are helping two people that are really important to us." Kairi looked at him quizzically, wondering what was going on in his head, but nonetheless, she nodded, waiting to see what would happen.

Sora grinned and gave a whistle, and in an instant a small furry little fellow came rushing down from the nearest tree. It climbed nimbly onto Sora's shoulder and squeaked, "Chip at your service!" Sora get the little squirrel _(A/N I think it's a squirrel, maybe a chipmunk) _a gentle pat and said, "Mind asking Dale whether he can send Highwind over here right now?"

Chip gave a nodded and took out a complicated device and began to input stuff. He was stopped by Kairi, who was examining him and squealed, "How cute!" before hugging him. Chip's eyes went into heart-shaped and purred. It's not everyday you get to be hugged by such a pretty girl.

Kairi finally let Chip go after awhile and he resumed contacting Dale. She looked at Sora, and was just about to voice her doubts about this 'special' trip, and she was greeted by Dale's energetic voice, "Sora, Highwind is all ready to go! Please board quickly! Will you be piloting the ship?"

Kairi looked all around her, but was not able to spot the ship. Sora laughed and said, "Dale! Remove the Invisible-G for awhile, so that Kairi can actually see where she's boarding!"

"Yes sir!" And within seconds, a sparkling gummi ship slowly became visible. It was an unbelievable sight. The ship was about the size of a two storey building, and oh, how do you put it, it was just absolutely _majestic! _Kairi had never seen such a thing before. And there was Dale, standing cheekily on the bridge, waving at them.

Chip took one look at Kairi and said, "Sora made the blueprint by himself, you know! All the weapons, design, everything! He drew it and designed it! We only built it. It's magnificent, isn't it?"

Kairi looked at Sora in amazement, whereas the one being spoken of was now blushing a deep red and finding a tree nearby was extremely interesting. She giggled and stretched out her hand, "Come on, Sora. No need to be 'shy'! Escort me onto the ship. Please?"

Sora grinned and gave a nod before gently holding her hand and together they traveled up the portal together…

* * *

_**After an hour……**_

"Highwind, ready for landing, Sir Sora Vale and Lady Kairi Revane, passengers. No luggage."

"_Okay, we got it here. Highwind, you are clear to land on lane 54C. Good luck."_

"Roger."

Sora replaced the speaker and glanced at Kairi who was beside him. She was busy admiring the regal buildings all around them. Well, it IS Disney Castle after all. What else would you expect? He became serious and tried to get Roxas' attention.

'Hey, you there?'

'_Yeah, but I really want to know, why are we here at Disney Castle? Surely, SURELY this isn't as simple as a date?' _

'Ha. Well, we'll see. I actually think that you're REALLY gonna thank me after this. You'll really owe me one.'

'_You know, I highly doubt that. What could you pull off that even I, me, no. 13 of Organization XIII, would be amazed?' _

'Soon, my friend, soon. Or maybe, I should start calling you my twin brother.'

'_What the heck are you gonna do???'

* * *

_

_**Later on……**_

Kairi was…no, no, shocked doesn't even start to describe what she was seeing. Flabbergasted, um…yeah, that's sort of what's she's feeling. Add that to dumbfounded and you get a perfect picture of Kairi at this particular moment. She had no idea that Sora would actually bring her to see the KING, as in KING, hello, ring a bell? KING???? What does she even have to do with the King? More like a mouse king actually. She has never gotten over the fact that a mouse could be a king.

And what's more amazing, Sora doesn't really seem to care that he's on royal grounds. He's waltzing along the pavements like this was no more different than a country stroll. His confidence in taking the routes in this……this…_maze_…showed of previous visits. She had to run to keep up with him. "Sora! Would you mind slow down?" She yelled. Sometimes, he could be SO insensitive.

However, what she saw was actually a serious face. "Kairi, there is no time to waste. We need to hurry before the King sleeps! I'm sure you do NOT want to stay here overnight? Or unless, you do?" He cocked an eyebrow.

Kairi mumbled, "Fine……_why not stay? I'm sure the beds must be SOOOOO comfy._"

"What's that?"

"Nothing!"

"Come on! I heard you say something!"

"It's of no concern!"

"It might be! You never know! Now tell me!"

"I said it's of no importance! Aren't we supposed to hurry?"

Sora immediately stopped at that. He crossed his arms, his eyes were filled with determination, "I won't move unless you tell me what it is you said."

Kairi sighed at his stubbornness. "I……oh all right. I said it might be nice to stay here……for the night……"

Sora's eyes widened with glee, "Really! GREAT! Now, we won't have to rush back! But, we must still hurry Kairi. After the process, I'll show the two of you around the castle. The other guy can already memorize this place, so yeah, the two of us will be showing the two of you around. Now come on!"

"Two…two you? Two of us? What are you talking about? Whose going to accompany us?"

"Kairi! Hurry!" And with that, he took off.

"Wait up!"

Sora took a left, a right, another right, middle, left, right, left, left, middle, middle and FINALLY, he got through the garden of the castle. He turned around; making sure Kairi was behind him, only finding her glaring at him. Oh yes, she was pissed. Anyone can tell. But, Sora reasoned, the surprise would easily calm her down. Therefore, he continued to drag her into the hallway. Finally he brought her to two HUGE doors in the middle of the hallway. He grinned and purposely flexed his arms.

Kairi was looking at him as if he had gone out of his mind. Surely, SURELY, he wasn't thinking of opening this huge as door by himself……is he?

Sora erased her suspicions when he proceeded to the left side of a door and opening it with ease, well, opening _another_ small door that has been engraved into the huge doors itself. Kairi stared before laughing out loud. Sora made a face and walked inside, and sure enough, there was King Mickey, getting ready to leave.

"Sora! My, what are you doing here? And Kairi too? Did something happen to Destiny Islands?" His brows immediately furrowed together.

Sora kneeled down on one knee, and replied, "Good evening your Majesty. No, nothing bad happened to Destiny Islands……least not yet. I've a favor to ask."

Kairi gave a curtsey and stood at ease beside Sora.

King Mickey scratched his chin, "Um…what favor? It must be pretty important to meet me at this time of the day. Please tell me it isn't reckless."

Sora grinned, "Well, it kinda is. But it works without a doubt."

Mickey sighed, "Ha, is it cliché to say that I have a bad feeling about this?"

Sora ran over to him and whispered into his big fluffy ears, and Kairi just witnessed an incredible thing. Mickey's face changed a total of five times in just two minutes. First, he became shocked, then, he got curious, next on the line was him thinking hard, next was assurance, and finally, it was happiness.

Mickey cried out in glee after whatever Sora spoke to him. He kept nodding and finally he smiled. Sora grinned in return. "I have to say Sora; that was mighty brilliant of you. It's hard to believe that you came up with such an idea!" Sora scratched his head, embarrassed.

"Oh well, better get started. Oh wait, Minnie! Oh Minnie!"

"Yes dear?" A female mouse like the king entered the audience room. Kairi felt surprised that there were actually more of this species of mouse. Yet, she reasoned that if the king was a mouse, well, the queen definitely isn't a cat, that's for sure.

Mickey whispered the idea to Minnie and she too, was soon jumping in glee. She smiled gently at Sora, "That's mighty thoughtful of you!"

"Er…hehehe, well to be truthful, I think it's all for the best this way."

"True. Now, Minnie, activate the hidden door."

"Yes dear." And she pressed a button under the armrest on the throne.

**FLASH**

The ground under the throne moved aside to reveal a staircase leading to a room filled with light. Kairi wondered whatever could be in the room, for it was nearly midnight here.

Sora turned to Kairi with a warm smile and held out his hand. "Shall we, my princess?"

Kairi blushed at his choice of words. She wondered whether the pun was intentional. Aw, who cares? She took his hand as he led her down the stairs and as she entered the room, she felt really at peace. The orb in the middle of the room was emitting gently light rays that made her feel……comfortable. _Weird……_

Sora now linked his other arm with the orb. He beckoned Kairi to do the same. She followed his actions, wondering what on earth was going to happen. Sora closed his eyes and smiled before saying, "Kairi, get ready to say hi to your new sister."

Kairi's eyes widened immediately, shock, curiosity, whatever. She was now seriously thinking of bringing Sora to do a checkup. Seriously, that was just weird, why would she have a sister?

* * *

_**With Roxas...**_

"_What the HELL?????" Roxas had no idea whatsoever. What in the world was Sora Vale trying to pull off this time? He can't read his mind all of a sudden, and he knew that it was Sora forming a mental barrier in order to prevent him from prying his thoughts. He could tell that Sora really wanted this……this event to be a surprise. Though, he wasn't really sure whether it would be a pleasant one, or……. He gulped. He didn't want to know what the second one might be. _

_He tried to talk to Sora, but found out that he isn't responding. That dumbass, he must have totally blocked him out. What's the big idea? And all of a sudden, he could feel himself hugging onto Namine. "What?" was all he could manage as he saw Namine resting peacefully on his chest. _

_Namine was puzzled too, wondering what on earth was going on. Unexpectedly, their surroundings were suddenly shrouded in darkness. And suddenly, a black figure emerged from the darkness, and began to crawl towards Roxas. Namine yelped in fright and hung onto Roxas. It was more of shock really. Roxas however, knew what it was. After all, this thing was the sole reason of him being united with Sora. He gave Namine an assuring hug before facing this black creature. Oddly enough, least to Namine, it was shaped in the form of a spikey haired boy, or so it seems. You really can't tell with all the darkness being emitted from his body. _

_Just as Roxas was about to perform the usual routine, Sora's voice rang out loud and clear, "Hang on tight to Namine, Roxas! Don't you dare let go!" Roxas rolled his eyes, signifying his usual response, DUH. _

_He smiled at Namine again and finally, he walked towards the black creature. He stretched out his hand and concentrated. The darkness that was slowly being emitted was sucked into Roxas and Namine nearly let go with fright. However, Roxas did as Sora was told and held on tight to her. And just after the fusion of the creature and Roxas was complete, a strong light engulfed the darkness around them and aimed right at Roxas and Namine. _

"_What the……" And all of a sudden, he felt a strong, irresistible push and the next thing he knew. He was spinning with Namine, totally getting out of control. He was getting sucked into the light. He tried to struggle, but Sora's voice rang out again, "Roxas! Don't resist! Just let it take you!" _

"_You're NUTS. Hello! The darkness is in me you know!" _

"_Yes, that's the whole point of it. Now DO IT! I believe in you!" _

"_Thanks…" Roxas replied sarcastically. _

_But even if he struggled, he knew it would be pointless. The light was too strong and so, he gave in like Sora said. Namine was staring at him with worry. "You going to be okay?" _

_Roxas laughed and replied, "Sure, as long as that guy out there doesn't make a mistake. Whatever is he doing? Hang on tight Namine. Just remember, no matter what happens, I'm here with you." _

_Namine nodded and slowly, they got swallowed by the light and Roxas' body got all tingly. He figured that it was the darkness in him reacting hostilely to the light. And just ahead, there was an exit. _

_And this time, the light waiting for them, he was sure that the darkness would never win. And whether it is on instinct or luck, he began to use all his might to force the darkness out of him. Just then Sora's voice rang out, "That's right! Roxas! Force out the darkness before you reach the exit! Come on!" _

_Namine was really worried now, "What are you trying to do to him?!" _

_Roxas held her tighter and with all his might, began to force anti-form out of him. He was beginning to understand the plan, and therefore began to cooperate unconditionally, for he knew, this was the moment he had been waiting for, for six months, this was THE moment. The whole point of this process depended on whether he could accomplish this task. _

_He took one look at Namine's worried face and just that was enough to prove that Namine really cared about him. Just that was good enough. Strength immediately started pouring into him, and gradually, the darkness was being forced out. He gritted his teeth as he felt resistance from anti-form, 'damn, that piece of crap actually knows what fear means'. _

_The exit is coming soon, time is running short. He summoned all the power he had and in one final effort, he blasted anti-form right out of his body, back into the light they came out from. All this was done just as they reached the exit, and his whole body had to lean onto Namine for support. He looked at Namine, only to find her smiling, "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. We'll always be together, like we promised." _

_Roxas laughed, really, he laughed. He was so happy. He never felt this before. Even though he's a nobody and he doesn't have a heart, he felt happy nonetheless. He can't explain this. Well, guess it's true when Hercules said that Love makes people do crazy things. He grinned and kissed Namine, this time, with all of his love he felt for her. Nope, not Sora's love for Kairi, but his love for Namine. _

_Namine didn't feel surprised at all. She loved him as well. She knew it, deep down in her soul, she loved him. She just kept thinking that it's not possible as she's a nobody and that she's not supposed to feel, but oh! Heck! She's not giving a damn anymore! Enough! She loved him and from what she's feeling right now, she can tell that he loved her too. That was all she ever needed to know. _

_She kissed him back as the light around them gently tickled them. And soon, as if traveling through a new pathway, ZAP. They disappeared from that particular realm. _

**WHOOOOOOOOSH **

Roxas and Namine were suddenly flung out from Sora and Kairi's bodies and landed on the floor with a thud. Talk about a flashy appearance. Ouch.

They still clung on to each other, not due to fear for themselves, but fear for each other's safety. They had no idea where they would land. Yet, something in the room they landed in tells them that it's just fine. And slowly, they opened their eyes, part of them not wanting to know what exactly happened, the other part dying with curiosity.

Roxas took a deep breath and finally opened his eyes. It was unbelievable. It truly is unbelievable. All he saw was an exhausted, but grinning Sora, a shocked Kairi, two gleeful mice, the Cornerstone of Light destroying the black creature by sending a beam of light right into its chest and dissipating it.

But most important of all, he saw Namine looking at him with passion indescribable and incomparable to anything else in the world. And that, was all that he needed to know before he promptly fell asleep at the same time as his Somebody. For they both knew, with joy, that the plan, was a great success.

* * *

_**How was that! Whoohoo! Roxas and Namine back! Everybody go AWWWWW…hahahaha. XD **_

_**Come on, you've GOT to review. I think I did a pretty good job really. I actually decided to end on a cliffy, but decided against it, it's too early for it. HEHEHE. **_


	3. Reunion

_**A/N: Heh, well, here's chap 3. And of course, I thanked my reviewers quite politely……I think. :P LOL. Anyways, enjoy! **_

**_P.S. If you guys can help 'advertise' my story it would be great. Of course reviewing always helps. Hint Hint x3_**

**_Disclaimer: Do I have to repeat myself every time? I do not own Kingdom Hearts! _:'(

* * *

**

Hold Me Tight, Don't Let Go

Chapter 3: Reunion

"Oh my god! Is this for real?" Kairi was absolutely astonished. Did……did her nobody just…'zoom' out of her? Well, she's guessing the answer is yes, because, well, there was Namine, looking at her with exactly the same expression on her face.

Mickey and Minnie however, were beaming at them. "Come on, say hello to your sister."

"Huh?" A unanimous reply. Well, that's a good sign.

Slowly, Sora and Roxas began to stir. Both girls immediately rushed over to their respective……lovers…no…erm…boyfriends. Yeah, that's the word. First thing Roxas did when he woke up was to check his hands and his body. He still couldn't believe it. He was real. He's now a person. As in a guy like Sora. As in a guy that can freely do whatever a normal kid of age 16 would do. And you know something, that just totally, "THIS ROCKS!"

This sudden outburst made Namine stare at first, before bursting out in laughter. She totally, absolutely understood his feelings. Why? Because she was feeling exactly the same.

Sora on the other hand, was laughing his head off already, "See, see, I told you! You owe me one now!" Kairi was laughing along with him, but suddenly stopped, before asking, "But, how?"

But seeing as Sora was too busy laughing, Mickey stepped forward. "Well, this orb here, is the Cornerstone of Light. It repels any and all evil darkness. Now note, EVIL being the keyword."

Roxas scowled, "Are you insinuating that I'm evil?"

Namine slapped him on the head, "Shut up and listen! I wanna know too!"

Mickey gave a cough and a nod, before continuing, "Well, Namine, as you know, whenever Sora and Kairi are together, the two of you are together, right? Well, when Sora linked hands with Kairi, it became possible for the two of you to come in contact. And the next part is important. In fact, without the next part, this would never have succeeded."

Namine was anxious, "Oooh! Just tell me already! The suspense is too much!"

Roxas grinned, "Well, aren't we curious. You know, you're way cuter this way."

Namine blushed, "Shut up."

"Well, what you saw back there, the dark creature, that was Sora's anti-form."

Kairi looked confused, "What's an anti-form?"

Sora explained, "It's basically my dark side. I keep it under control with Roxas' help. If not, well, I might lose my willpower to it. And then, it'll end up controlling me. And well, it grows more powerful every time I feel negative. Okay? Oh and don't worry, you won't have one, you're a Princess of Heart." He added as he saw the look on Kairi's face.

Namine on the other hand, looked shocked. "Roxas was controlling it?" She stared at him. Said person grinned awkwardly, scratching his head.

Mickey nodded, "Yep. He does it by absorbing Anti-form and negating the darkness in it with the help of Sora's light. It's a pretty dangerous process. If interrupted, bad stuff might happen."

Now, both girls were absolutely furious, "How is it that you forgot to mention such an IMPORTANT thing?" The boys gulped, "Erm……you see, er…we felt that it was not necessary to er…_inform…_you of these minor details……" They had to stop explaining for each girl was placing a finger on their forehead, and narrowing their eyes dangerously. Man, who would have thought that girls would be even worse than heartless or nobodies?

Namine said in her quiet voice, "Stuff it." Kairi followed up, "No excuses! Oh! I oughta…"

The two boys were backing away as fast as they could. Sora was sweating a lot, "Now, now, girls, say no to violence……" Roxas muttered, "You're one to talk."

"Whose side are you on?"

"Oh right." Roxas grinned sheepishly.

"Geez."

Even though Mickey found this most amusing, he felt that he had to come to the boys' rescue. "Do you still want me to explain?" That got their attention. And immediately, the girls raced back to the king and listened attentively. Minnie was giggling.

"So, Namine, you remember the time when you were surrounded by darkness?"

"Yeah……it was weird though. I was actually frightened."

"Yes, it's normal, for that thing is the embodiment of all of Sora's evil. And when Roxas absorbed it, did you feel……different?"

Namine thought for a while, before nodding, "Yes. My body got all tingly. It was like pins and needles."

"Huh?" Roxas was staring at her, "What do you mean you felt something, how's that even possible?"

"Well, Roxas, when you two are linked, light, darkness flows through the both of you freely."

"WHAT! Hey, how come I had no idea that something like that would happen?! Sora! You knew it didn't you!"

Sora nodded. Roxas went on, "Then why didn't you tell me! If I knew I wouldn't have held on to her, that way, anti-form was flowing through both……oh. I get it."

Mickey gave a nod, "Yep, like I said before, the Cornerstone of Light repels any evil darkness. Therefore, it was activated when it detected the anti-form inside Sora. It shot a beam of light at Sora's chest, aiming directly at you and Namine, Roxas."

"So…that was why we got sucked in. And when I felt that the light was too strong, I forced anti-form out, thereby making it possible to……"

"Exactly! Just before you got shot out, you were separated from anti-form. And therefore, here you are. You can now control Sora's dark side simply by being near him. And what's more, since you are his nobody, any evil that would want to get to him, would have to get past you first, which is quite impossible I would say."

Roxas grinned, "So……that makes me ..."

Mickey nodded, "Yep, Sora's the Keyblade Master of Light. Whereas you shall be the Keyblade Wielder of Darkness. Riku's the Keyblade Wielder of Twilight, meaning he keeps the balance between you and Sora. Yet, his attacks come from Darkness, meaning, he's slightly towards the dark side, whereas you, I'm sure, have gotten used to both dark and light attacks."

Roxas nodded, "Hmmm……well, as long as I get to stay in this form, that's good enough."  
Sora suddenly jumped on him, "SEE! I told ya! Come here and give your brother a hug!"

"Hey! What the! Ouch! Let go!"

"Nup! Not until you call me your big brother!"

"Why do you get to be the older one?!"

"Cause I say so!"

"That's soooo unfair!"

"You think I care! Hey, I got you out didn't I?"

"More like, I got myself out actually, you didn't really do anything."

Mickey laughed, "My, not only do they look like twins, they _act_ like twins too! Jolly good."

Kairi and Namine laughed at the lame bickering over who gets to be the older one between Roxas and Sora. Then they stopped to look at each other and gave each other a gentle hug, "Well, I guess I'll be having to explain to my parents about my new twin sister. And I'm sure they'll be pleased." Namine laughed, cheerfully. Really, it was a long time since she experienced such happiness.

Just then, the door of the audience chamber and a familiar duck and dog appeared. "Hey! What's with all this ruckus? Huh?" He rubbed his eyes. He blinked. He rubbed his eyes again.

Goofy spoke his thoughts for him, "GAWRSH! There's TWO Soras!!" Donald was quacking like an insane duck, "AND TWO Kairis! ……oh, right, he is a duck eh. At this exclamation, the others all began laughing again. Then, Goofy noticed, "Hey! You're that guy in the photo! Ah, I know, you must be Roxas!"

Donald skidded to a stop, "What? Roxas? Who's that?"

Roxas grinned and introduced himself, "Well, to put it simply, I'm No. 13 of Organization XIII and I'm Sora's nobody."

Namine giggled, "And um…I'm Kairi's nobody, my name is Namine."

The jaws of Donald and Goofy were glued to the ground. This just caused the others to laugh even harder.

* * *

**_After all the explaining is done…_**

"Oh! So, that's what happened." Donald quacked.

"Gawrsh, that's pretty fascinating don't you think?"

Sora scratched his head, "Um guys, I was just wondering; would it be alright if we took the girls to do some sightseeing? I sort of promised them you know."

Mickey gave a nod, " Sure, oh, and when you finish, you know the way to your rooms eh? Well, Roxas can use the room next to Sora's. Got it?"

Roxas nodded and looked at Sora who was grinning, "Yep, I got it. Well then, Roxas, I'm picking the west side. You?"

Roxas sighed, "What do you mean 'you'? If you pick the west, all that's left is the east wing for me." But he grinned nonetheless, because he was intending to bring Namine to the east wing. It all fits perfectly. And he planned to show it to Namine as soon as possible.

* * *

_**With Roxas and Namine……**_

"Now where are you taking me……and why are you excited Roxie?" Namine giggled. 'Roxie' was her nickname for him. And to be truthful, she found it to be kinda cute. Why? Because she knew Roxas hated being called Roxie. It made him seem like some sort of sissy. Hey, what d'ya know! It rhymes. And at this, she nearly burst out laughing, if not for his death glare.

Roxas hated that nickname. But alas, she loved to use it……he sighed.

Well, he can't really do much about it. Maybe he will just have to get used to it. He suddenly realized that they took a turn too early. God damn this stupid castle.

He slowly began to recall his footsteps, only to bump into Namine, resulting in a close intimate moment between their lips. Woah, that was really unexpected. But that definitely made Roxas the winner again, as Namine was blushing like a tomato after that and remained quiet for the trip.

He grinned, thinking, 'Who knew I was this good a kisser?' He shook these thoughts away, concentrating on his main task. When he realized that they were close to their destination, he turned around said to Namine, "Um…could just close your eyes for a moment, I need to get the place ready. Oh, and don't peep, please?"

Namine rolled her eyes, "Fine!" She pouted, "What is so special that you have to prepare first?" Roxas laughed, "You'll see, and you'll love it." And he was gone. Well, Namine obeyed his wishes and closed her eyes. But she couldn't resist the temptation. She sooo wanted to see what it was. Even though it might upset him, oh well, she could always apologize.

So slowly, she inched over to the room slowly, and quietly. Then she opened the door and her face showed pure amazement. Inside the room was a gallery, what's more, it's an art gallery!

Roxas immediately whipped around when he heard her gasp and sighed, "I knew it. You just couldn't wait for me to arrange all the paintings first could you?"

Namine squealed in joy and hugged him, "Oh, I love you! This place is great! How did you know I love these places?"

Roxas laughed, "Well, it really isn't that hard to figure out you know. I just thought, that you might want to enjoy looking at some of these paintings and getting some inspirations and stuff. After all, we had a rough night, didn't we?"

Namine looked at him, "Roxas……I…" Roxas placed a finger on her lips. "Shush. Now, tonight would be a celebration. To celebrate us becoming real. May I have the honor to dance with you, my love?"

Namine blushed at his choice of words. Oh, he just called her his love! She gave a slight nod before reaching out for his hand.

Roxas held her tight and slowly, they began to dance in the middle of the room, enjoying each other's presence and liking it. And just as Namine thought the day couldn't get better, Roxas faced her seriously, and raised his hand. "Namine, I hereby swear to the creators of the worlds, I love you. I have always loved you. And I shall always love you."

Namine immediately clapped a hand over his mouth, blushing a deep shade of red, "You…stupid! Don't go around swearing without thinking……"

Roxas held her hand and stared into her aqua eyes, "Namine. I've thought about it for a long time. I love you. It's funny how I never get bored of saying it. It's how I feel, well, I'm not supposed to feel, but that's the thing. I know it. Deep in my soul, I love you. So, do you allow me, to be your boyfriend?"

Namine gasped, she didn't expect this coming. But oh how she loved this. A tear slid down her cheek as she slowly said, "Yes, YES! Oh Roxas!" And with that the two engaged in another passionate kiss. According to them, this can be counted as a perfect reunion, just like the old times, when they were in the Castle that Never Was. Yet, this time, it's so much better.

Fate can be nice sometimes, don't you think?

* * *

**_With Sora and Kairi……_**

Sora led the way through the west wing. This time, he walked slowly, making sure Kairi has the chance to see _everything_. Kairi however, seems preoccupied with something in her mind, and is just answering Sora half-heartedly. And according to Sora's intuition, she's in a pretty bad mood.

But, Sora shrugged it off, thinking that Kairi was just worrying about the explanation to her parents about Namine. He had something else on his mind as well. He actually planned a brilliant night in the Royal Garden at Disney Castle. Why else would he pick the west wing? He knew that Roxas would pick the East Wing because that's where the art gallery is at, along with all the other museums.

At that thought, he smiled, finally, he did something to repay Roxas. He had never felt that it was fair where he got to be the boss that controls all their actions. No matter how many times Roxas denies that, he feels that in a way, he's using Roxas, and trust me, that's not a good feeling at all. That's why, whenever he had the free time, he would almost think his head off just for the solution to get Roxas and Namine back again.

Besides, having an extra brother might not be that bad at all. Surely, one day, he'll get his heart. Sora was sure of it. And just as he was finished zoning out, he realized that they've reached the garden.

"Kairi! Here we are! Disney Castle's one and only Royal Garden!" And it was truly a beautiful sight to behold. The dim lights from the lamps radiate off the flowers, presenting a fascinating scenery. Red, blue, green, orange, yellow etc all mixed together, combined with the white light, it's almost like seeing a huge rainbow when looking at the flowers. And what's more, they're sparkling.

Sora grinned and said, "Now, Kairi, watch closely." Kairi gave him a weak smile and did as she was told.

Sora concentrated on his magic and readied blizzaga in one hand and firaga in the other. With a well-timed swing, **WHOOSH**, the two spells collided with each other and well, you guessed it. Water droplets were sprinkled everywhere, adding the finishing touches to a wonderful picture. One would not believe that a garden would be this gorgeous.

Sora smiled cheekily at Kairi, "Looks beautiful doesn't it?"

However, something just didn't feel quite right. Water droplets weren't the only things that were dripping. Tears were too. What's worse, they were dripping from Kairi's eyes.

"Kairi!" He rushed over to her, "What's wrong? Why, why are you crying?"

Kairi pushed him away, "Get away from me!"

Now, Sora immediately knew this was serious. Kairi was a really good-tempered girl. And her action just proved that she's really frustrated with something, and Sora can easily deduce that, well, that 'something', is about him.

"Kairi, what did I do this time? I apologize for whatever I did wrong, just, just don't get mad at me okay?"

"How can I not get mad at you?!" She turned around and faced him, looking him directly in the eye.

Sora immediately kept quiet. It was the only tactic that you could use when faced by a raging girl.

"Sora! Just how many things have you been keeping to yourself?!" Kairi yelled.

Sora clapped his hands over his head, thinking, 'God, not this again.'

Kairi went on ruthlessly, "Why do you NEVER tell me anything?! You and Riku are the same! Always thinking that you guys can be free to risk your lives whilst I should be a good girl at home, safe from everything……WHY!!!"

Sora was in a very bad situation here. Not only was Kairi crying, but she was crying because it was his fault. Well, there wasn't much he could do, so he tried his best to calm her down. "Kairi……" He started.

"DON'T!" She shouted. And Sora was stunned.

"No more……no……I don't wanna hear your excuses anymore! It's always the same. _Kairi, I don't want you to worry. Kairi, it's nothing. Kairi……_I'll tell you what! Go and shove all that crap back into your mouth! I hate you! _SORA VALE! _**I HATE YOU**!" And with that, she ran off. Leaving a dumbfounded Sora rooted to the spot.

* * *

**_With Sora……_**

"Man, just what did I do wrong? Sigh……" He looked around at the garden, all the preparations, the plans he had made for the night, wasted. He felt sad. Nope, no complicated emotions at all. Not even anger, but sadness. Why, why did this always have to happen? All he ever wanted was to make her happy. All he ever wanted was to see her radiant smile.

But unsurprisingly, life isn't that simple, is it. The daily things that kept him busy are confusing him, and that's when she came to him. She was the one that brought him into a whole new world. A world of love. Not just friendship, but love as well. She saved him from his own misery. Fighting heartless day and night isn't a fun thing to do at all.

And he was grateful to her for that. He liked her, yes. But that's not all, he respected her, he adored her, he loved her. He wanted to keep her safe, not wanting to let go. He wanted to shield her. That's why he acted so distant to her. He didn't say goodbye whenever he left because he didn't want her to care for him too much, because he knew that one day, he might die somewhere. And he didn't want her to wait for him anymore. It was too cruel.

Yet, when she confessed her love for him, the wall he made around himself collapsed and he couldn't control himself. His love for her was too strong. It was hard to keep it at bay without her confessing, yet, once she confessed, it was such a relief. It was then that he knew, that she would be the only one to keep his heart. He had to stop kidding himself. There was no way he could resist her. And so he finally expressed his love for her as well.

And here he was, getting shouted at for not telling her about stuff. He knew, it was his fault, yet he couldn't. He couldn't tell her. There was always this part of him that still wanted to protect her, scared that he might lose her. But now, he finally understood. The emotion of worrying about her whenever he was fighting battles far from her, he realized that it was impossible to keep her away from the darkness. It was impossible to shield her from all the evils in the world.

And all he needed to know is that: If you protect someone, you'll not let them get hurt. If you love someone, you need to be able to trust her and she must be able to trust you. And if you are scared for her safety, all you need to do is to make sure you protect her properly. And right now, he's gonna make sure that the one thing he cared for the most in his life, is not gonna slip away from him. And therefore, he ran after her.

* * *

**_With Kairi……_**

She screwed up. It was all wrong. The words she wanted to say, they all came out wrong. She never meant it that harshly. She just wanted to scold him for not telling her stuff. Yet, whenever she saw his carefree face, not even caring about himself, only about her, she did not know what to do. Whether to cheer or to cry. She had no idea. The way he treated himself compared to the way he treated her………was enough to make her cry.

She blew it. He had planned such a wonderful evening, yet, she had to ruin it by shouting at him. She could almost imagine his depressed face. It was almost heartbreaking. But what could she do now? She was angry that he only thought for everyone else and not himself.

She messed up. She wanted to congratulate him on such a brilliant plan. She had intended this evening to be a pleasant one. But no, she had to act like an idiot. Now Sora would……sigh……She smiled.

She couldn't help it. That guy always made her wanna smile. She wanted to be close to him, close enough to feel his heart beating fast. Did he have any idea how much she loved his peaceful eyes on her? Did he ever know that she had hers on him? She wanted him to share his love with her, his tears that his holding back, his pain that's been bottled up.

He always stood in the corner, with that look on his face, as if he was never hurt, as if he was never down. She wanted to be the one for him. She wanted him to not keep any secrets from him.

When she was still unsure of her feelings to Sora, she's never said her words wishing they would be heard. But she always saw him smiling at her, and the only thing she could think of was whether it was real, or just her fantasy. She kinda liked it his way. How he always placed his shining eyes on her.

But now that she's confessed, she was hoping that Sora would let her come to him, as close as she wants to be. Oh god! Kairi gasped. She loved him. She loved him so much that she could die for him. She immediately stopped running, and turned around. There was no doubt about it. All she could think about when she was with him was that she wanted to be in a sanctuary, a place where fears and lies melt away. Oh! Why was she so stupid!

If you make a mistake, you correct it. You don't just run away! And with that in her mind, Kairi took off, back towards the direction she came from. She didn't care anymore, she wanted to be with Sora. She loved him. That's why she was going back to him.

* * *

**_In a hallway in the West Wing……_**

"Kairi!"

"Sora!"

And the next thing they knew, they were hugging each other, clinging onto each other, refusing to let go.

Sora stared at Kairi's eyes and wasted no time in drawing her into a deep, passionate kiss. Kairi responded immediately by kissing him back. It was not until they needed oxygen did they break the kiss.

Sora hugged her again, "God Kairi, I love you."

Kairi wept onto his shoulder, "Sora! I'm so sorry! I love you so much."

Sora gave her a reassuring pat, "Shush, it's okay. As long as you're with me, nothing's important anymore. I don't care anymore. All I need is you. The future doesn't even scare me now. Kairi, I'm going to say this loud and clear and I shall repeat it as many times as you like."

He took in a deep breath, "**I LOVE YOU KAIRI!**" He might as well have woken up the whole castle with that shout.

Kairi blushed, and kissed him again, and grinned. What she did was really unexpected. She too shouted, "**I LOVE YOU TOO SORA!**" in a volume that could have rivaled Sora's. And the next thing they knew, they were laughing happily in each other's arms.

Forget that they were in public, forget that someone might be spying them, forget that they may seem like a lunatic couple laughing their heads off, nothing mattered. They love each other. That alone is reason enough.

* * *

_**So, how was it? Angst and fluff mixed together. Not bad I hope, lol. Oh and before you people decide to exit this screen. Just click on the little button on the lower left side of this page. That's right. Submitting a review never hurts eh? XD**_


	4. Trouble

**_A/N: Finally decided a pairing for Riku, how many of you know Nevaeh created by Talitha Koum? If you don't, well, I shall be getting permission from her (I hope) to use her. HEHE. And of course, a new evil's coming, what ya expect? Peaceful life and fluff all along? Well, that might be nice, but no……Anyways, review now k? x3 _**

**_Disclaimer: I wouldn't be writing a fanfic if I own KH now, would I? I would be plotting for KH3 at this moment instead……_**

_**And erm…I don't own a certain female that's bound to come out at the end of this chapter in case you didn't notice……she belongs to Talitha Koum k?

* * *

**_

Hold Me Tight, Don't Let Go

Chapter 4: Trouble

Mickey was pacing back and forth in the Hall of the Cornerstone of Light. He had felt something was amiss ever since Sora's anti-form was shot out. He could have sworn that a second beam of light was about to shoot out at the same time, yet something prevented it from doing so. Well, in order to prevent it from doing so, that 'something' either escaped, or used some powerful dark magic to suppress the Cornerstone of Light.

He did not mention this to Sora, seeing how he was exhausted and everything, yet, now it seems that things are getting much more serious, for dark thorns were growing at a slow pace all over the hall and there was that can be done about it. He even tried using his light to overcome the darkness, yet found that it didn't even create a hole in the thorn………which was why he decided that……it was time to trouble the young keyblade master once more………

* * *

_**Meanwhile………**_

Sora and Kairi were back in the garden, enjoying the beautiful scenery around them. This time, the atmosphere was totally different. Both could feel the love in the air. And both were blushing a great deal. Yet, it all felt so right. Peaceful and quiet. What more could you ask for a date like this one?

"Sora?"

"Yeah?"

"Is it okay, if I be a little selfish now?"

"Huh? Er……depends. What do you want?" Sora looked at her, confused.

Kairi blushed, "Well, erm……I just wanted to know if you place all your thoughts on me for just tonight."

Sora looked at her for a while before flashing his famous grin and hugged her even tighter, "Awww……Kairi! Do you even have to ask for that?"

Kairi giggled at his reply. Sometimes, he was just such a gentleman.

But just as they were about to kiss again, Donald and Goofy's loud footsteps could be heard and they immediately stopped whatever they were doing, with a huge blush on their faces.

"Gawrsh, I hope we didn't come at a bad time." Goofy scratched his head.

"Aw phooey! Sora! No time for this mushy business! The king needs to see you! It's an emergency!" Donald quacked impatiently.

Kairi bit her lip; she could almost see what was going to happen. Sora would go, leaving Donald and Goofy here to protect her, and once again, he would disappear into the nights, leaving her all by herself.

Yet, seems like she was wrong tonight. Sora merely nodded and turned to her with a smile, "Come on Kairi! The king's waiting!" And he held out his hand, waiting patiently for her to respond.

Kairi couldn't believe her ears. Sora asked her to come along? GOD! She squealed in glee as she jumped right into Sora's arms and gave him a quick kiss, "So! Finally decided to let me come now, have you?"

Sora laughed and replied, "Why? You don't want to? Um…maybe I should reconsider…"

Kairi looked at him fiercely, "Don't you dare! I'm coming whether you like it or not!"

Sora grinned and said, "Well, let's get going then! What are we waiting for?!"

* * *

_**Back in the Hall of the Cornerstone of Light**_

"Sora! I apologize for disturbing the two of you tonight. Yet, as you can see, a disastrous thing has happened." Mickey greeted Sora in a serious tone, with his eyebrows all furrowed together.

Sora gasped, didn't this happen once already? Was someone messing with the past again? He looked towards Donald and Goofy, and as he expected, both of them were gawking at the thorns as well.

Even Kairi could feel the faintly noticeable change in feeling in this room. Mickey spoke again, "Sora, this time I believe, this case is not due to the past, more like the present was messed by people _from_ the past. Did you notice that the thorns got darker as they got closer to the Cornerstone of Light?"

Sora nodded and began thinking, "Well, it shouldn't be maleficent, because I think she's still in the Caste that Never Was. She did say that the castle would become hers……"

Suddenly, the ground began to shake uncontrollably, and a huge **SMASH** could be heard. It came from the East Wing. Sora clapped a hand to his eyebrows, "Of course! We forgot about Roxas and Namine!!"

* * *

_**With Roxas and Namine……**_

They were quietly enjoying each other's presence when suddenly, a portal of darkness appeared and a figure slowly stepped through. Roxas immediately sensed its presence and summoned his keyblades, just in time to deflect an attack sent at them.

Namine yelped in surprise as she got pushed back by the force of the attack, only to find Roxas in front of her, with blood dripping down his chest. She was horrified; she didn't even see the guy attack. It was when she turned her attention to the guy, did she felt a pang of fear hit her.

The appearance of this……this…guy was too ghastly. He was about a head taller than Roxas, wearing a white cloak similar to the Organization's, yet there was one extra difference. They were wearing a mask……technically, half a mask. Part of the mask shielded the left side of his face whereas the rest just hung loosely on his face. And his face was the most gruesome of all. His jaw could actually be seen on the right side of his face. And what's more, he was grinning. It wasn't just an evil grin, but it was a confident one too, one that clearly spelt, 'You're so dead now.' And the mask didn't help either; it was shaped like the face of a devil.

Roxas too was shocked; his parry actually wasn't enough to deflect an attack that the opponent had sent at him so effortlessly. And he was the nobody of the Keyblade master too.

The guy looked from Namine to Roxas, then back again. And guffawed. "What is this?! These two brats are my mission? Man, what a drag……at least give me some challenge……at this rate, it's gonna be no fun at all. And I was looking forward to ripping the two of you to shreds……" And with that, he summoned his…………

"KEYBLADE??!!!" Roxas freaked out. Even Namine was confused. How many wielders are there?

The guy smirked and said, "Yes, yes, a keyblade. Name's Razor. I think you can tell why."

Roxas gulped, 'No duh! The keyblade was HUGE and was shaped like a chainsaw.'

The guy laughed at the look on Roxas' face, "Man, even though I'm on a mission, I'd like to have some fun today. I'll give you two choices, either (1) you kneel on you feet and beg for my mercy. Then, I'll give you a quick one. A painless death. Or (2) you start running right now and I'll count to ten. Then, I'll rip you……_limb by limb_."

Roxas clenched his teeth and held on to his keyblades even tighter. Namine was totally rooted to the spot, and Roxas had no idea whether it was due to fright or shock. But one thing he was certain, no one……and I mean no one……messes with him and gets away with it.

Razor nodded, "Good, looks like it's going to be the second option! That's more fun! Now, shall I start……?" **WHOOSH.**

Oblivion lodged itself firmly in the place where Razor was standing just a second ago. Roxas dashed forward and picked it up, and once again charged at Razor. His opponent merely smirked, "Some kids just never learn……"

And in a second, he disappeared. Roxas held his keyblades in a defensive posture, waiting for him to make a move. His ears straining to pick up any sound his opponent gave off.

"Too slow kid." **SLASH**. Blood spurted everywhere. Roxas bit back his scream of pain and attempted to use Retaliating Slash on him, only to find that he disappeared again. Namine was screaming, "Roxas!"

He had no idea what just happened. Razor had appeared behind him in a mere second and aimed right where his spine was. If Roxas had only been slower by half a second, his body would have been sliced in half. And that means, that whoever this guy was, he wasn't just bad news. He was a really, really 'convincing' piece of bad news too.

Roxas was laughing at himself inwardly. He hadn't trained for too long. He was sure that Sora could take out this guy easily. He felt useless. Ha. Maybe this was the price you have to pay for being a nobody.

_swish _Roxas' eyes widened. He heard it and immediately executed a dodge roll and in that fraction of a second, evaded Razor's huge chainsaw. Damn, it was the size of Cloud's sword for god's sake. Roxas grinned; he was slowly being able to hear it. So at least, he could buy some time until Sora came.

Razor understood the look on Roxas' face. "Hmph, you think that's my normal speed? Boy, you've got a lot to learn." And disappeared again, yet, this time he reappeared within a mere two seconds and sliced Roxas on the shoulder, sending him into the air. And a few seconds later attacked Roxas from behind, sending him right into a pillar and finally delivering the final blow, blasting Roxas right down onto the centre of the gallery.

Namine couldn't bear to look at Roxas. If it wasn't for his trainings as a Nobody before, she was sure that the string of attacks that Razor used would have decided Roxas' fate. He was bleeding profusely and was sliding in and out of consciousness. She had never seen such a Roxas before, and it terrified her to no end.

Razor jeered at him, "Ha! How's that, you little scum?! Had enough? Ha. Now, let's get to the ripping part……" and as he slowly moved towards Roxas, Namine felt herself frozen to the spot. She couldn't do a thing. She had not had much of fighting experiences, let alone a weapon. What could she do?

Suddenly, she thought of a possibility. She concentrated on Razor's chainsaw keyblade and pictured it in her mind. And slowly a swirl of light appeared in her hand as she configured up the exact same keyblade as Razor's.

"What?!" Oh yeah, Razor was _definitely_ surprised. Namine swung it around with ease as well, she decided to make the weapon feather-like, yet retain the power of the keyblade. It was her creation after all.

Roxas wanted to shout at her to stay away, because he knew that, even if Namine had a weapon, her experience and reflexes are definitely not enough to take on this monster. Looks like Razor had the same thing in mind. He got into his offensive posture and suddenly, an orb of fire was gathering at the tip of his keyblade.

And that was when Roxas knew that real trouble was brewing, "Namine! Get out of the way! NOW!" Yet, Namine just stood in front of Roxas stubbornly, "No! You're injured! This time! I'll fight!" Razor was laughing like an insane man, and muttered a word that was incomprehensible to Namine, "Cera!"

And with a flash, the orb of fire was blasted at her at the speed of light and she had no idea what had happened, only that she was pushed aside in the nick of time and that a gigantic explosion took place, leaving a hole with a diameter of ten metres in the wall of the gallery.

And what was left in the way of the attack was……"ROXAS!" He was panting heavily, gasping for breath. He was not only suffering from third-degree burns, but also the explosion had sent fire blades everywhere and he was slashed back and fro at least twenty times. It was a disaster.

Razor guffawed again, "HAHA! Oh my god! You actually took the full blow! You could have just shared half of it so that neither of you would be seriously injured, but you had to be a goody lover boy now, didn't you? Bwahahahaha! Sucker!"

Namine rushed over to him, readying a curaga spell. "Oh god! Roxas, why, why did you push me out of the way? You dumb……stupid……"

Roxas collapsed onto the ground. He couldn't believe it. He got defeated with such ease that he couldn't bear to even think about it. This was all a bad dream. No way this was happening. He looked up to see Namine's tearful face and managed a weak grin, "Hey……why are you crying?" He muttered as he slowly caressed her cheek.

Namine wiped away her tears, "I'm……I'm not. Just don't say anything. Just……just let me muster enough power to use curaga."

Suddenly Razor reappeared right before them, chainsaw ready in his arm. "Hahaha! Pathetic nobodies! DIE!"

Namine immediately sprung before Roxas, not caring that she would be killed, only thought on her mind, was Roxas' smile and the things he did of her, "ROXAS!"

**CLANG!!! **

Razor looked pissed, "Hey, hey, who the heck are you, disrupting my mission?"

"Well, sorry, but you were messing with my brother here you see? What can I say, the older one has to look after the younger one, don't you think?"

Namine opened her eyes and stared in shock, "S..Sora!"

Roxas yelled, "Who said you were the older one!"

Sora ignored him, and using his free left hand, summoned Peter Pan. The force allowed Sora to successfully parry the attack and force Razor backwards, and in one swift move, charged at him, successfully using guard break.

"Argh!!" Razor, due to his carelessness, was now slashed right in the stomach. "Damn you! Stupid kid! How can a nobody have a brother?"

Peter Pan greeted Sora, "Our turn?" Tinker Bell immediately twirled once around him and healed all his injuries.

Sora looked at Peter Pan and as if on cue, he had already got into their usual stance, before using their limit, Neverland. In a flash, Flying Boy and Tiny Fairy were all unleashed at him within seconds, severely injuring the opponent, and finally, just before the attack was over, Sora sent Tinker Bell over to Roxas who immediately cast Curaga and even replenished his mana power.

Kairi witnessed all this and she couldn't believe her eyes. Did……did Sora just fly? She rubbed her eyes again, making sure she wasn't hallucinating. Namine too was bewildered. Since when can people fly? It wasn't logical.

Roxas however, wasted no time in climbing up. He had noticed something, and of course, that certain something really, really ticked him off. Which was why he charged with insane speed right at Razor, successfully taking him by surprise. He started a ground combo on him, and finished using Omega Finale. **_(A/N, if you don't know what all this means, well, put it simply, it just means that Razor's getting wasted by Roxas x3) _**

Razor landed with a dull thud on the ground and the all too familiar scene of the heart rising out of the body was seen. Sora grinned; he knew that Roxas could do it. After all, he WAS his nobody.

Yet, the most unbelievable thing happened. Razor just got up and rubbed his head.

Roxas stood about a metre in front of him, seething, "You piece of……so THAT'S why I feel so weak……"

And just then, a **crack** sound was heard, and everyone's attention turned to Razor, only to find a broken skateboard beside him.

Razor cursed, "Damn, you found it."

Roxas smirked, "Yes, and you know what that means? I think you do. It means, you're going to take a one-way trip to hell RIGHT NOW DAMNIT!"

And with that, he charged again, with all his might, determined to beat the crap out of this random guy that had just embarrassed him in front of all the others.

Razor knew that he was at a disadvantage and immediately summoned a portal, through which he disappeared. His voice could still be heard though, "_Hahaha……consider yourself lucky that your so-called brother saved you this time. Next time however, things will not be so simple. I shall repay you……handsomely of course for the damage you did to me. And remember……no one messes with us Chasers._"

It was taking all of Roxas' willpower to stop himself from yelling out every single curse that he knew, and that involved a certain four-letter word too, thank you very much. Oh no, he sure as hell ain't gonna look more like a fool anymore.

Sora however, was more concerned over the fact that Razor wasn't dead. He looked over at Mickey, only to find that he had turned a shade green.

"What's wrong your majesty?"

Mickey gulped, "He……so it's true……they're back……the…the Chasers are back……"

Sora looked confused, "Why? What's wrong?"

"Sora……I'm afraid your vacation has to end. I need you on another mission straight away. Don't worry about Riku; I'll be going over to Destiny Islands right now. In fact, you're coming along with me. And Namine, is it all right if I ask you what would be your most prized possession at hand now?"

Namine thought for awhile, and answered, "Well, just my sketch book I think, but what has that got to do with……"

Mickey had already cut her off, "Good, make sure you do not lose hold of it."

He then began to walk away, but was stopped when he discovered a portal had opened up again. Sora and Roxas both got into defensive stances until they discovered that it was only Riku.

He looked troubled and as expected, once he saw the King, he immediately asked, "What's going on? There's this random guy that attacked me in the school. He had this white coat on and wore a mask. What makes me worry is the fact that he has a keyblade as well, doesn't die even though I'm sure I hacked him five times, right where the heart's supposed to be……Huh, Sora……what are you…ROXAS?????"

Roxas grinned sheepishly, "Hiya. Er……long time no see."

Riku was stunned, more like shocked really. "So……so if you're here, that means……" He turned around to find Kairi and Namine waving at him and smiling.

Riku rubbed his eyes, "No way……looks like that guy cast some sort of weird spell on me. I'm seeing things now……"

Sora laughed and patted him on the back, "Come on, Riku. I brought them back. It's not that bad, is it?"

Riku looked at him for a moment, then at Roxas, before sighing and said, "It is actually, because as the guy left, he told me, that the Chasers would be going all-out hunting for hearts from now on."

"WHAT!!!" Nearly everyone in the room other than Mickey shouted.

Mickey gave a huge sigh and said, "Looks like I've got more explaining to do. But first, get on the gummy……we're going over to see Master Yen Sid right now. He can explain more than I do actually."

Sora nodded and looked at Kairi, "See. That's why I want you to stay. You saw what that guy can do. So…I er……"

Kairi immediately ran up to him and pulled him into a tight hug and glared at him fiercely, "NO! No way I'm going to stay here! I don't care! You promised me!"

And to her surprise, Sora grinned, "Now there's the Kairi I know. All right, then let's get moving."

Riku was sniggering at the sight of the two of them, and it suddenly hit on them that Riku was er……watching them. So er…yeah. The two immediately let go of each other and began to blush like tomatoes. Very red tomatoes indeed.

Namine, on the other hand, was badgering Roxas, making sure that he wasn't injured or anything.

Roxas felt hopeless, "Namine, for the last time……I'm FINE."

Namine pouted, "Hey! That wasn't very nice! I'm just trying to make sure……"

Roxas slapped a hand to his forehead, thinking, 'God, I'll never understand girls. They are just an unpredictable species.'

And suddenly, he found Sora grinning as if to say, 'Hell yeah bro.'

It was Minnie who got hold of their attention, "Now, now, hurry. Master Yen Sid has already received word from Mickey and is waiting for you."

"Yes madam."

* * *

_**At the castle of Yen Sid……**_

"Hmm……Chasers. I'm sorry to say that this is very bad news. They are keyblade wielders, yes, without a doubt. Yet they are not. In fact, they can be considered connected to Nobodies. Nobodies cannot feel because they have no hearts. Chasers however, have too many hearts, and therefore are unable to feel anything, for they are unsure which heart to listen too, therefore, they don't feel."

Sora gasped, "Er…too many hearts?"

Yen Sid gave a grave nod, "Yes……each Chaser holds at least three hearts. And therefore, to defeat them, one has to ensure that all the hearts have risen from his or her body."

"WHAT??!!!" Sora exclaimed.

"But that's just plain UNFAIR! They have three and we have NONE??" Roxas shouted.

Yen Sid replied, "Yes Roxas. But the reason they have that many is not because they are special compared to you. It is the fact that they were brutal and feared death. You see, the Chasers are made up of keyblade wielders that do not understand the concept of light and darkness and are too afraid of the dark to carry out their duties properly. Which is why they abandon sealing keyholes and turn to obtaining more hearts as a way to survive."

"Each Chaser has the ability to extract hearts from people, any person in fact. And if not stopped in time, the person's heart is stolen and becomes a heartless. No nobody is created for the heart is devoured immediately by the Chaser, no matter how strong the heart is."

"The Chasers claim to be invincible, which they can be considered as, due to the high number of hearts each one of them has. They are immortal. Yet, the number of hearts one's body can sustain is limited, meaning that there is a limit as to how many hearts they can keep collecting until the body can no longer hold any more. That limit varies with each Chaser, yet, the most common is five. The leader of the Chasers however, is rumored to be able to sustain twenty hearts."

Everyone in the room looked shocked. Having no hearts, they could understand. Having _more_ than one heart, that was something that took a little time to get adjusted to.

Yen Sid went on, "However, they have a weakness. And that is you, the nobodies. You are their weakness."

Roxas looked dumbfounded, "Huh?" Namine too was confused.

However, Riku was the one that spoke up this time, "I get it. Because the nobodies have no heart, the extra hearts in the Chasers will try to escape from them and fly to the nobodies!"

Yen Sid smiled, "Exactly."

Sora thought for a while before asking, "But why would they care? They can always just get another heart right?"

Yen Sid shook his head, "Acquiring a heart requires too much strength, and therefore, often leaves the Chaser vulnerable for a certain period of time. Therefore, it's at great risk if they happen to fail or get interrupted."

"And now, if you will all pay attention to one more thing. This concerns the nobodies actually. The Chasers suppress your strength……"

Roxas gave a quick nod, "I know. They use an item that is of great importance to you and use dark magic to suppress your soul."

Yen Sid nodded, "Yes, I'm sure that you felt it yourself. Henceforth, I demand one thing of you."

Roxas raised an eyebrow, "What's that? If it's something about letting go of all my prized possessions……"

Yen Sid laughed, "No, no. All I ask, is for you to warn the other organization members when they get revived by Sora."

Roxas laughed too, "Sure, sure, no problem. When they get revived right? Yeah, easy………WHAT?"

Sora looked flabbergasted, "Revive the Organization?"

* * *

_**Elsewhere……**_

"Master……they are as tough as you said. I almost got defeated. I'm terribly sorry……"

"_SILENCE! Hmph……you useless being. Get out of my sight. I told you not to let your guard down. I forbid you to hunt for a heart just yet. That's your punishment."_

Razor gritted his teeth, "Yes Master."

"_And before you go, send Nevaeh in." _

"Yes master."

"I'm already here master. I've saved Razor the trouble."

"_Good. You know what to do now don't you?"_

The girl smiled sweetly, "Yes master. I shall engage the blue-haired keyblade wielder in a battle to obtain their data. I am allowed to severely injure him, but not allowed to kill him."

"_That's right. I expect good news from you."_

The girl giggled and purred, "Don't worry master. I'll take _gooooood_ care of him……"

* * *

_**Haha! Finally done. You don't actually think Roxas was that weak did ya? You guy had better review, I didn't even eat dinner just to get this done...**_

_**So you guys better be grateful! LOL. XD**_

_**P.S. Don't worry, I haven't eaten dinner for six years already. Think of it as a sort of diet. LOL. I ain't kidding you. **_


	5. One Meets the Other

**_A/N: First of all, I must thank all those that reviewed! Meant a lot to me! Thank you very much. More action in this chap, humor as well, maybe angst. LOL. Enjoy!_**

**_Oh and if any of you want to know what Nevaeh looks like, just go to this website: No, I'm just a random guy who doesn't own KH. And of course, I don't own Nevaeh either, she belongs rightfully to Talitha Koum.

* * *

_**

Hold Me Tight, Don't Let Go

Chapter 5: One Meets the Other

"That's right Sora, you'll have to enter Kingdom Hearts and revive the remaining Organization members." Yen Sid answered whilst stroking his beard.

Sora could not believe it, "So……you're telling me I've to revive all of them after I spent like one whole year trying to _defeat_ them?!"

Yen Sid nodded, "Yes, given the circumstances, this has to be done."

"But, how can you guarantee that they'll be on our side once I revive them? What if they go with the Chasers?"

Yen Sid smiled, "That's a good question. Answer is quite simple. Because by siding with us and defeating the Chasers, it makes it so much simpler for them to get a heart, which is exactly what they have wanted for years."

Roxas shook his head, "Even so, I can't guarantee that all of them will join us. Some of them are really selfish and also, the Chasers might even ally themselves with the Organization by say, providing them with a heart that they hunted or something………"

Namine nodded, "Yes, there are ones that we feel are sure to join our cause, like Axel, Larxene……"

Mickey looked confused, "Larxene? Didn't she try to kill Sora? Isn't she part of the group of Nobodies led by Marluxia that tried to rebel against Xemnas in the Castle Oblivion?"

Sora scratched his head, "Huh? She tried to kill me? Who is she?"

Namine temporarily ignored Sora and proceeded, "Well, she really wanted a heart, because……" She bit her lip, looking at Roxas.

Roxas sighed, "Because she loved Axel."

"HUH?!" Everyone in the room gasped.

Namine nodded, "Yes, she loved Axel, I think. Even though she too didn't have a heart, I think she eventually realized her feelings for him."

Roxas went on, "Axel……I don't think he realized the effect he had on Larxene. I don't think anybody does as well. They would yell at each other all day from everywhere, Axel would start it by sending a real random comment about her…and she would shout back and a quarrel would start. Fire and thunder would flash everywhere, and their dialogue was pretty amusing."

Namine nodded, "Yes, I remember in Castle Oblivion, the sad look on her face when she found out that Axel betrayed them. It's almost as if she's heartbroken, what's more, even though Axel tried to hide it……I think I saw a tear drop actually, when Sora landed the final blow……"

Sora was now really confused, "Whoa……just a second. What in the world are you guys talking about?"

Mickey shook his head, "When the time comes Sora, I'll tell you about it. But now, we have to focus on the present problem. Namine, continue."

Namine nodded, "Well, the real reason why Larxene went to join Marluxia is perhaps because……Axel went. And therefore, if Axel were to join us, I'm sure Larxene would as well."

Yen Sid thought for a moment, "If that is true, then it would be wonderful. Anyone else that might join us?"

Roxas went on, "It's really hard to say. Xemnas for one; may not join us. After all, Sora and Riku defeated him. Xaldin always loved violence. Demyx might join us because he's kinda weak and dislikes trouble. Xigbar, I'm not so sure. Zexion might join us because he loves to research so if we let him stay in the King's Library……. And as for the rest, I really can't say."

Yen Sid rubbed his chin gently, and then said, "Well, in that case……we have to make it a gamble. Sora, revive them. Regardless of the consequences, there is always the possibility of the Chasers gaining more hearts at this very moment, and that shall make our mission very difficult. Even if all of the Organization refuses to co-operate. Let them be."

Kairi interrupted, "But won't that just create more work for Sora? Why not just leave them be? If they all gang up on us……we……"

Sora placed a finger to her mouth and said, "Right! We'll split up, Riku, Namine and Kairi, go back to Destiny Islands to seal the keyhole then, travel to Radiant Garden and warn Leon and the gang. Meanwhile, Roxas and I shall go back to the Castle that Never Was and summon the door to Kingdom Hearts."

Kairi stomped her feet, "Sora! Were you even listening?!"

Sora faced her, "Kairi, you have to understand. That guy we just fought, I reckon is just a pawn. And if he manages to escape that easily, then we may never beat him. The odds are against us. But if the nobodies are able to help us suppress their strength, I'm willing to take that chance. And if they all gang up on us again, well, we knew what happened last time, and since we are all stronger now, I don't see what there is to worry about. Believe in me, believe in yourself and nothing's impossible."

And with that, he winked at Kairi and dashed out of the window, landing on Highwind. "Roxas! Say goodbye and let's get moving!"

Roxas sighed, "Well, Riku, you better keep an eye on Namine and Kairi. If not, me and Sora are gonna skin you alive, you got that?" And he too jumped out of the window, onto the deck of Highwind, and immediately slid down the portal into the bridge. And within seconds, the gummi-ship blasted off into the distance.

Kairi and Namine were first stunned; then they blinked. They rubbed their eyes and blinked again. Riku knew what was coming, and he decided that he didn't like it one bit.

"How DARE they walk out on us like that?!"

"Who they heck do they think they are?!"

"He's so dead."

"Yep, he's toast when I get my hands on him!"

"I'm gonna rip him apart!"

"He's gonna be deaf when I'm through with him!"

And as the girls continue to yell out their various punishments for the boys, Riku couldn't help but chuckle at the trouble his friends have gotten themselves into. He sure didn't want to witness the boys getting confronted by the two seething girls right in front of him. And suddenly, his heart had a new emotion.

It was jealousy. He sighed. Yep, Kairi loves Sora now. He knew that from the beginning and was really glad that they are together now. But then, that left him by himself. And he really doesn't want to spend the rest of his life being alone. That's just plain sad.

He shook his head, 'Now's not the time to think about this!" He scolded himself mentally. He then turned to the girls, "Now, now, I know you're angry, but we have to go now. Kairi, you're a Princess of Heart, now put Sora out of your mind temporarily, and think about how Selphie might be in danger, and if Selphie is killed, that means Sora would have to deal with one more heart from one more Chaser if we don't hurry."

Kairi immediately froze, not quite the effect Riku was looking for, but oh well, might as well take it. "Yes, that's right, that's right. Now Namine, think about the dangers Roxas might be in if a Chaser was following them and like, he got loads of hearts from people and is invincible, and can instantly waste Sora and Roxas in one go, how do you like that?"

Namine instantly stopped her ranting and stared at Riku. Both girls looked at each other, pulled open the door and sped down the stairs.

"Where are you going?!" Riku yelled.

Both girls turned around simultaneously, "Hurrying! Come on Riku! Hurry up! They might be in danger!" And continued dashing down the stairs.

Everyone in the room sweat-dropped at their bi-polarity. Riku scratched his head, "Um……maybe I got them too agitated."

"RIKU!!! HURRY!!!" A very loud echo could be heard from the stairs and taking in the anger in their tone, it seems they weren't really happy with Riku just standing there.

Riku sighed, "What did I get myself into?" As he too jumped out of the window and landed deftly on the ground.

"Head to the gummi-hangar! We're taking Excalibur!"

The girls had already rushed off. Riku smirked, "My, my, who knew that a little pushing would result in such chaos." And deciding that running around is exhausting, since he's lazy today, he executed Quick Run and instantly arrived beside the girls. He opened the door and all 3 quickly scurried inside before blasting off to Destiny Islands.

* * *

_**An hour later……**_

"For the last bloody time, ARE WE THERE YET?!" Roxas yelled into the Sora's ear.

"Grrr……For the last freaking time, WE ARE NOT THERE YET! NOW JUST STAY BACK!" It's clear that Roxas was getting on his nerves.

You really couldn't blame the poor guy, he was been disturbed by Roxas' constant 'Are we there yet?' for the past ten minutes.

"Why are we this slow?!"

"Because I have to look out for enemies AND pilot this ship at the same time, so shut up and let me concentrate." Sora snapped.

"Why don't you let me handle the enemies?" Roxas asked, annoyed, "That way, you could just put us on maximum speed and we can waste all the enemies with my spectacular shooting skills!"

Sora raised an eyebrow. Roxas looked at him, "What? Xigbar DID teach me stuff you know?!"

"Oh FINE! Get here and maneuver the lasers. I'm activating the Holy-G, so fasten your seatbelts."

"All right! Let's get cooking……bring it on!" Roxas got ready.

The mechanic voice of Highwind boomed, "_Activating Blaster Engine Holy-G, speed increase by 300, beginning countdown……5…4…3…2…1…_"

"BLAST OFF!" Roxas shouted in glee. (_A/N: _Can't blame him, he just has too much energy stored while being inside Sora.) Sora just rolled his eyes. Some trip this is.

* * *

_**With the other three……**_

"Riku, is there any possible way to speed up?!" Kairi yelled, like right into his ears.

"Jesus! Kairi, I'm right here you know?"

"Then speed up!"

"Look, we are traveling at 150 of the normal speed already, okay. I'm the pilot. You just sit back and shut up."

Kairi pouted, "Hey! That's not very nice!"

Riku almost wanted to bang his head on the wall already. Kairi had been bugging him about the speed they were going at for the past hour. At this rate, his brain cells would be dead by the time they reached Destiny Islands. And what's more, Namine, on the other hand, was busy admiring the stars in space and kept jumping up and down in glee and giving off squeals every two minutes.

It's really hard to tell which was more disturbing. He was beginning to understand why Sora never told Kairi about their missions. Now, because Sora wasn't here, the only person for Kairi to badger would be……him. And that isn't a good situation at all. Nuh-uh.

Suddenly, an idea occurred to Riku. He smirked, "Kairi, I think you better fasten your seatbelts. We've got company."

Kairi's eyes widened, "Really?" Namine popped into the conversation, "Where?"

Suddenly, the ship lurched to one side and the two girls were thrown off balance and landed on top of one another. Riku flipped open a button, "Don't say I didn't warn you, this ride's about to get rough."

"What? What do you……HUH?"

Riku pressed the button and a female voice rang out, "_Sir Riku, releasing weapon locks. Please confirm the strength of weapons and shield._"

Riku continued to maneuver the ship with skill before answering, "Damn this heartless, they are ticking me off! Alright, they are about to earn some pain! Excalibur!"

"_Sir?"_

"Equip 4 Thunder-G for mini cannons, 4 Thundara-G for normal cannons, 2 Thundaga-G for large cannons, 3 Meteor-G for Mini-lasers, for the fourth one, add a Comet-G with tracking ability, for the large lasers, equip 2 Ultima-G. For shield, just throw us a Shield Lv. 3-G. Use Hastega-G and Esuna-G as well. Aw heck, attach a Radar-G to find invisible enemies. And one last thing, I want all the weapons spread out."

"_Yes Sir. Equipping weapons…10...28...52...84...100. Done. Now equipping extras……19...31...50...79...100. Done. All systems clear." _

Riku grinned evilly, "Alright, Just in time! Finally something for me to blow some steam. I was going crazy here!"

And with that he pressed the huge red button in the middle of the system, and shouted, "You two! Fasten your seatbelts NOW!"

The two already obeyed without further hesitation, for they could see, Riku was pissed.

And as Riku transferred over to the weapons maneuver, the girls actually felt sorry for the heartless. Poor things. They are so gonna get wasted.

Indeed they are……

* * *

_**Back to Sora and Roxas……**_

"Ha! Take that!" Roxas and Sora were now having one heck of a fun time. They dumb heartless gummi-ships were just piling up for the both of them to destroy. Sora was in control of the lasers, whereas Roxas took care of the maneuvering now. They kept switching every five minutes so as to not get bored.

"Alright! My turn!" Sora yelled.

"Fair enough! Now!" And they both changed places quickly. This, to them, was like playing an arcade game. It was that easy.

And finally, after enjoying all their fun, Sora yawned, "All right, time to end all you pathetic excuses of a challenge! Highwind!"

"_Yes Sir?" _

"Just shoot ten blasts of Ultima-G at them and let's get on our way. Then set it on auto-pilot and give us a pack of cards."

"_Acknowledged. Shooting in 5…4…3…2…1……" _

And sure enough, all the heartless gummi-ships on screen were demolished.

"_Engaging auto-pilot. Complete. Sir Sora, cards are in the bottom drawer of the cabinet."_

"Right, thanks!" And with that, he proceeded to retrieve the cards.

Roxas was staring at him, "Auto-pilot?"

Sora replied, "Yeah, why?"

"Why didn't you set it on that before and ask for cards earlier?"

Sora grinned sheepishly, "Hehe, er……I forgot?"

Roxas stared at him, completely unable to comprehend why the keyblade would choose a guy like him. And worse, why did he have to be his nobody?

Sora finally found the cards, and gave Roxas his goofy grin, "So! Want to play poker?"

Roxas clapped his hand to his forehead, thought for a moment, before sighing and said, "Sure."

* * *

_**With Riku, Kairi and Namine……**_

"Gosh, Destiny Islands looks so beautiful." Namine looked at her surroundings in wonder. Sure, she had seen this place through Kairi, but it was different when you see it by yourself.

Kairi was staring at Riku, "Just what did you mean when you said you had to blow off some steam?"

Riku rolled his eyes, 'God, since when were girls THIS persistent." Suddenly, he spotted Destiny High in the distance and made a run for it.

"HEY! Answer my question!" Kairi yelled, chasing after him.

Namine sighed and ran after the two of them. But something felt wrong, she had no idea what, but it's just as though they were being watched.

* * *

_**Elsewhere in the shadows……**_

"Oooh! I see him……Time to play……hehehehe……" Nevaeh purred. She then summoned a portal and after summoning her keyblade, she walked into the Corridors of Darkness.

* * *

_**Back with Riku and co……**_

"HUH?!" Riku immediately skidded to a halt as a portal appeared right in front of the school gates. He quickly stopped Kairi and Namine and stood in front of them, readying a Dark Aura in his hand, just in case.

"Hehe, my, my, aren't we touchy." A girl wearing the same white cloak as Razor came out of the portal, but this time, her mask was in the shape of a kitten's face. She had white hair that was tied back into a long braid. She looked innocent enough, but then, Riku knew better than to judge someone by his (or in this case, her) appearance.

She was holding a keyblade with the forks sharpened to its extreme. The hilt was black and the rest were colored red and white. And at the head of the keyblade, there was something that looked remotely like a dragon's head.

Riku gritted his teeth, and blasted the Dark Aura at her straight away, and at the same time, he pushed Kairi and Namine into a portal that he summoned, regardless of their protests. He knew that the Chasers weren't easy to defeat.

Sure enough, the girl was no longer there, and reappeared almost immediately behind him, keyblade around his neck. "Now, that wasn't a nice greeting was it?" She giggled.

Riku ignored this comment and summoned Way to the Dawn in a flash. The girl saw what was coming and quickly got out of the way. Riku got into his battle stance, holding his keyblade high, and close to his body, thereby being able to retaliate if the opponent so much as get close to his body.

The girl however, was acting all carefree and relaxed, as if she didn't even care that Riku was putting up a fight. And that really ticks him off. Which was why he executed a Quick Run, appearing right before her and unleashing another Dark Aura right in her face, only to find that she dodged it with extreme ease and had slashed his right arm, causing a strange black mark of a dragon being formed on it.

"What the……" Riku examined it and placed his hand on his chest, trying to detect any abnormal changes to his body. The girl only moved her mask out of her face and grinned, "Nothing happens with the first slash you know?" She made a face and continued to giggle like a child.

"What's your problem?!" Riku snarled, not really in the mood to deal with pathetic insults from a little girl. The girl stuck out her tongue, "Sorry, bluish white haired wielder……but I do have a name you know! Even though I was supposed to be collecting data, I'm really disappointed!" She pouted, "Who would have thought you were this weak?"

"You little……" Without finishing the sentence he charged at her and attempted to start a ground combo on her, only to find that she had already dashed past him, slashing his right arm at the exact same spot where the image of the dragon was formed, and suddenly, without warning, his hand became numb, and he lost his balance.

It was as though his nerves were severed. He couldn't move his right arm, but that wasn't the worse part. His arm was numb, yet, it felt like it was on fire. There was some sort of heat in his muscles that caused his arms to scream in pain. He refused to give even the slightest notation that he was in pain. He merely grunted.

The little girl blinked and then cooed, "Ooooh! Doesn't it hurt? Should I do it more? I would love to hear you scream you know?" She raised her keyblade once again and disappeared using that familiar move of hers. Riku wasted no time in hesitating as his left hand tightened his hold on Way to the Dawn and administering a block in the last possible second. And with that, his eyes widened. He saw it. He smirked.

The little girl, noticing this, backed away, "What? You blocked it? Hmm……looks like I have to take your data anyway. Now, do I have to do it by force or do I have to _persuade_ you ever so thoroughly? I could start with your left arm, slice it bit by bit, then, it could be your foot, erm……maybe tear them off one by one? No, they would be too easy. I could crush them first……Oh well, I could do anything basically anyway. You are powerless to resist. I'm just too strong for you. Your efforts are futile."

Riku was getting annoyed, did this girl even realise that he was just here? Like, right in front of her? He tried to move his arm again, but to no avail.

The girl noticed this, "It's no use. Don't bother trying. It's a special ability of my keyblade. If I strike any part of your body on the exact same spot twice, that part of your body will experience paralysis, yet, pain will still occur, unlike normal paralysis. That's right, all thanks to my beloved Dragon Fang." She shook her head, and then tilted it like a child, "Say, what's your name, bluish white haired wielder?"

"And give me one reason why I should tell you my name?" Riku growled.

"Because I said so? Unless, you want me to hurt you?" She eyed him innocently. And a second later, she held her keyblade at his neck, with her other arm around his waist, her face, dangerously close to his. "Do you?" She whispered into his ears.

Riku ignored this, "What makes you think that I'll actually succumb to you?"

The girl sighed, "Well, I paralyzed your right arm, and I could kill you right here on the spot if you don't obey. Unfortunately, I have orders to not kill you." She gently patted him on the cheek, "Now, be a good boy and let me have some fun will you?"

Riku grunted and swung his keyblade at her, forcing her to get off and in one swift motion, while she was talking, grabbed her key-wielding hand and forcibly turned her around, before using his weight and height advantage by pinning her onto the ground, with him on top of her.

"What was it you were saying again? That part about having fun?" Riku smirked.

The girl was struggling hard against him, and pouting at the same time, "That was _cheating!_ You don't interrupt someone when she's talking to you!" She huffed. She couldn't get out of the hold.

"That's right, but you do when that certain someone is trying to kill you." Riku replied, "Now, stop moving and state your objectives."

The girl ignored him and continued to squirm under his body, making Riku feel _extremely_ uncomfortable. Riku smirked and forced more weight onto her, thoroughly stopping her and imitated her whisper, "You don't want me to hurt you, do you?"

The girl huffed and yelled, "That's mean! Now let go of me! Is this how you treat a girl?"

Riku laughed and actually let go of her. She blinked. What?

Riku retreated five steps and raised his keyblade again, "I'm treating you as an equal here. So get your butt off the ground and challenge me like you did before, this time, properly!"

The girl got up and whispered, "Equal? Does that mean something like a friend?"

Riku snorted, "Hell no!"

At that, the girl was suddenly raging, "You'll pay for teasing me!" And she charged, disappearing in a flash with that familiar move. **SLASH!** Riku bit back his cry of pain and continued to concentrate on the sounds of her movements. If he could hear her once, he could hear her again.

_Swish_ His eyes widened. _Swish_ He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. _Swish_ And suddenly, he opened his eyes, and stuck his keyblade onto the ground, right at the place where the girl appeared after a second, and not wasting anytime, he gave the girl a strong uppercut, sending her into the air and immediately followed up his attack with Dark Aura, and finally, he launched himself into the air and executed Meteor Rain, where hundreds of small blasts of dark energy blasts aimed right at the girl, sending her whirling right into the ground.

He landed back down safely, Way to the dawn in hand, ready for any other further outbursts. His right hand lay limply on his side and he frowned, thinking what on earth would cure it.

And just as he expected, the girl popped back up from the ground and now, Riku could see she was really angry. "Grrr……how DARE you tease me?!" And as she raised her keyblade, she dashed at him, yet, just as he raised his keyblade to block, she turned to another direction, and before he knew it, she was speeding around him, causing afterimages to form.

Riku began sweating, "Okay, this is bad." He tried to see which one was the real form, but soon gave up and prepared for her ultimate attack.

The girl's playful voice could be heard everywhere, "What's the matter? Can't you keep up? If you can't, then, prepare for OBLIVION!"

And totally out of the blue, Riku felt his spine ache like crazy, and just as he spun around, his left arm was injured and without even having time to retaliate, the girl unleashed slash after slash all at the speed of light at him, and after the combo, she finished with a huge blast of lightning at Riku, "Cero!" **KABOOM!**

A huge explosion took place, everything within the diameter of a kilometer was destroyed by this explosion, and as for Riku, who was right in the middle of the explosion, he was blasted back with the lightning surging through his body, almost electrocuting him and he was sent through five buildings, when he finally landed on the beach, where he came to an unpleasantly rough stop due to the hindrance of a particularly big palm tree.

What could he say, in fact, he was too exhausted to say anything. He had formed up Dark Shield in the nick of time before that blast of lightning had hit him. Yet, nonetheless, the slashes before were pain like hell. He tried to move his limbs but found that only his left arm was able to move. The rest of his limbs were all suffering the same fate as his right arm.

He cursed. He should have known something like this was going to happen. Why didn't he pay attention? He coughed up some blood as he slowly tried to get up, but stopped when he saw that the girl had reappeared, about ten steps in front of him.

"Ha! That'll teach you! This serves you right for daring to tease me?" The girl yelled.

If Riku had any additional functional limbs, he would have clapped his hand to his forehead, "Since when did I tease you?" He asked. There was no way that he was going to be framed for something he didn't do.

"You made me think that I was your friend!" The girl exclaimed.

Riku blinked. "HUH? Since when did I say that?!"

"You said I was your equal!"

"That's your own fault! I never even slightly hinted that!"

"I don't care! It's your fault!"

Riku groaned. Of all the opponents, of all the Chasers, why must he encounter one that is so childish, so irresponsible, so……so bloody _annoying_……why couldn't it have been a male? He sighed, and tried again to move his arms, but again, it wasn't working.

The girl chuckled, "How many times must I say, it's useless! They won't move anytime soon, you'll have to wait for at least 2 hours before the effect gradually disappears! And since you're this weak and unworthy of Dragon Fang, I shall curse you! Hopefully, you shall be like this forever, but oh well, can't get my hopes high." And she began to giggle uncontrollably again.

Riku sighed. See, this was what he hated about amateurs, especially girls. Little girls at that. He used his remaining moveable limb and concentrated on the darkness inside him, and slowly began to harness its power. And suddenly, a surge of darkness shot up all around him, almost enveloping him.

The girl stopped giggling and looked at him curiously, and then shocked as Riku slowly stood up. He was panting, but nevertheless, he was still standing up. He the used his left hand and motioned for the darkness to wrap around his other limps and as the process went on, he slowly regained the ability to move his arms and legs.

She couldn't believe it. How was that possible?! Dragon Fang's effect was instantaneous and had never failed before! Then how……how was it possible that this wielder was standing right in front of her, as if nothing's happened? What was that darkness?

Riku smirked, and suddenly, the darkness disappeared. He flexed his arms, making sure they were working and summoned Way to the Dawn once more, "Looks like you've got a _lot_ more data to collect, girl." And with amazing speed, he charged, slicing her right arm and began a combo. Even though she got out of it, she was dazed to see that Riku was already waiting for her in the air and after successfully carrying out a full eight slash air combo on her, he finished by unleashing Aerial Finish on her knocking her towards the sand, and as a follow up, he summoned a huge orb of dark energy with a radius of ten metres and blasted it at the girl, before landing gracefully back on the ground.

**KABOOOOOM!**

An explosion that could have rivaled the first one by the girl occurred, yet this time, nothing in the surroundings was destroyed, and the girl was lying on the ground, panting and gasping for breath. She couldn't move at all, it was as though the darkness sucked all her energy. She winced in pain as the aftermath of the attack fully coursed through her body. She couldn't believe it. She lost. She even paralyzed three of his limbs, yet he still managed to recover and defeat her.

Riku walked to her slowly, and kneeled on one knee in front of her, the smirk never coming of his face, "So how's that? Satisfied with the fun I provided?" The girl turned her face aside, totally disappointed at the fact that she actually lost. And she had said such big words too. She could only pray that this wielder forgot about them.

Riku however, knew what she was thinking, and his smirk got even better, "Now who was it that said I wasn't strong enough to resist you?" The girl growled in frustration, looking like she was ready to pounce on him if she could. Riku stared at her orange eyes and found that he was getting lost in them. She was just so cute when she had this angry stare……**WAIT! WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT! **What the hell?

He had just met this girl that tried to kill him and yet here he was thinking she's cute. God, didn't know he was this desperate.

However, before he could pursue this matter, the girl yelled, "Alright! I admit defeat! Now kill me! Hurry! Spare me the embarrassment!" She was pouting. And throwing a tantrum. Not exactly something you would expect an enemy to do if she was defeated.

Yet, Riku's answer was really surprising for her. "No."

She blinked, "Huh?"

Riku smirked, "I said no."

Her face immediately changed to express anger, "So you mean you want to humiliate me before I die? You……"

"No."

She blinked again, "HUH???!!!"

"You deaf? Do I have to repeat myself that many times?" Riku replied.

The girl finally found her voice, "Why not?"

"Because I didn't win."

Okay, now she was really confused. "What are you talking about?! I'm lying here, you're the one standing, of course you win!"

Riku chuckled, "Yes, but in a while, I'm sure the effects of Devil's Puppet would fade and I would crumble again, so this time, it's a draw."

The girl looked confused, "Devil's Puppet?"

Riku nodded, "That was the attack I used to recover my movement. I summoned darkness and envelope my limbs in them, forcing them to move, therefore, broken bones and paralysis mean nothing before that attack, yet, the effects are only temporary as I still haven't mastered it. But it was enough I guess."

Riku couldn't explain this, he just felt at ease with this girl, as if he could tell her anything, even if she had been the enemy. But was she really an enemy? She merely attacked him and had many chances to kill him, yet all she did was paralyze him and mock him. Even if there were orders to not kill him, she could have severely injured him. And not just stand around giggling. Maybe all she wanted was a friend. With that in mind, he made a decision.

"I'll be looking forward to our next match." He said as he began to walk away, "Hope you recover soon."

The girl bit her lip as she watched this wielder limp away slowly, not wanting any of his wounds to open up again. She was in a dilemma, why did this guy make her feel weird when he mentioned equal? She extremely wanted to know. This was a first. None of the other opponents had even made her admit defeat like this, that's right, this was her first defeat and the other opponents were not even close to making her feel as weak as this. Nuh-uh.

"HEY!" She yelled.

Riku looked back, smirking again, "What's up? You dying already?"

She bit her lip, "What's your name! I've to know that!"

He laughed, "It's Riku. R-I-K-U, got it?"

She mumbled, "So, it's Riku……"

Then, a shout from him got her attention, "What?"

He grinned, "What's yours?"

She mumbled, "Nevaeh."

Riku pretended to hold a hand to his ear, "What was that? I can't hear you if you don't speak louder! And in a positive attitude!"

She flushed, "It's NEVAEH!"

And she cursed as she watched his smirk grow bigger by the minute. She just couldn't stand him. Yet, she couldn't help notice that she was smirking too. In fact, she was feeling really happy.

"Maybe I'll finally get to know what having a friend is about……or even better……maybe I can finally have a friend……I shall remember you Mr. Riku……" She whispered to himself as she saw Riku disappear into the portal of darkness.

* * *

_**SOOOOO! How was it?! It was really long! 17 pages folks! Oh and if you were wondering why I didn't mention the name Nevaeh during the fight is because I wanted to save it for the end. XD Cute isn't she?! I know! **_

**_You have to thank Talitha Koum for creating her! You want to know about her past, just go to the profile of Talitha Koum and read Nevaeh's Story. Simple as that. So until next time! LOL. Still so cliché. _**

_**P.S. Pst, plz remember to review. x3**_


	6. Revival

_**A/N: Hey Guys! Thanks for all the reviews! XD! Really appreciate it. Oh, and I just realized the website for a pic of Nevaeh didn't come out! Right, this time, you'll have to click on my profile and check under my story to find the website. It's there. I double-checked this time. :P Right, on with the story!**_

_**Disclaimer: No, I do not own Kingdom Hearts ok??!!! Enough already……and yes, Nevaeh belongs to Talitha Koum……sulk……

* * *

**_

Hold Me Tight, Don't Let Go

Chapter 6: Revival

"Riku! Are you alright?!" Kairi ran to him straight after he came out of the portal.

Namine was worried too, but had been able to make sure that there weren't any more enemies in the region.

Riku was panting again, just like he said. The effects of Devil's Puppet were disappearing, and he could hardly move any more. Which was why he fell down the instant he got out of the portal.

"Oh my! Did you lose? But……" Kairi was biting her fingers; she had no idea how to cast a cure spell. She looked over at Namine for support. Namine nodded and in an instant, a greenish light hovered above Riku and began to tend to his injuries. She knelt down and began to concentrate on a first aid kit, and with a quick swish, she conjured up bandages and disinfectants.

Kairi began to gently tend to his injuries. Namine frowned, "You're lucky that I'm able to conjure up minor things like this. If it had been any worse, I wouldn't be able to do much about it. Now tell us your reason for throwing us into a portal and engaging the enemy alone?"

Riku coughed, then grinned, "Well, I wouldn't look good even if I won, would I? Haha, ouch hey! I'm injured here!" He shouted as Kairi hit him on the head……hard.

"Do you have ANY idea how worried the two of us were? And here you were, worrying about how _cool_ you'll be if you win. Argh! I swear……you do this one more time, I'll personally beat you up myself!" Kairi snapped.

Riku laughed apologetically, "Alright, alright! I'm sorry. Okay? It's just that she's real strong and I didn't want to get you two into danger, ya know? OUCH! What was that for?!"

This time, it was Namine that hit him. "It was a FEMALE?!" She looked ready to kill. Riku gulped, "Erm……yeah, so what's the problem?"

"You thought the TWO of us couldn't even deal with a FEMALE?! You think that one girl from the opposition is better than the two of us added together?!" She raised her hand once more. Riku immediately raised his hands to block, only to be knocked from behind by Kairi.

"Yeah! How dare you discriminate us, Riku?!" Great, now even Kairi was angry. God, what did he do to deserve this?

He sighed, "Look, the fight between me and her ended in a draw. Meaning, we are evenly matched. MEANING, if I let the two of you against her, it would be like making the two of you fight against someone as strong as me. Get the picture? I'm not saying that you're weak or anything, it's just that you are erm……not strong enough……yes, not weak, but not strong enough as well. That's right!" He grinned triumphantly, thinking he had finally calmed the girls down with this reasonable excuse.

How wrong was he? Both girls just punched him in the face, "SHUT YOUR BULLSHIT!!!"

Oh, boy, he was in for it now……And he thought he was going to die against one girl……he felt like crying now……literally……

* * *

_**With Sora and Roxas……**_

"Man, this place brings back so many memories……" Roxas mumbled as he walked into the Proof of Existence. He remembered that day, when he saw his fellow nobodies' graves, shut down one by one. He knew, Marluxia had been foiled, by whom? He had no idea. Then, he heard it was because of the Keyblade Master, therefore, he went in search for his other. He chuckled, never thought it would come down to this.

Sora however, was thinking of how happy he had been when he finally embraced Kairi in the Hall of Empty Melodies. He sighed, why must bad stuff always happen to him? He shook his head, 'Now's not the time……Better concentrate in case the rest of Organization XIII just starts attacking us of a sudden before I even get a sentence in……especially that Saix……' He shivered at that thought.

He remembered his fight with the berserker. Far out! That guy just wasn't right in the head. He doesn't even give a damn about defense. I mean, sure, the best defense is a good offense, but still, he had never actually thought that it could work THAT way. Saix just brandished his huge as spear-like weapon and created shockwaves everywhere, and it was like experiencing a rampage for at least 20 minutes.

But then, he smirked, Final Form, Sora-style isn't that easy to defeat you know……

"Oi! Sora! Hurry up and stop grinning like a maniac!" Roxas yelled in his ear.

"Ouch! HEY! That was uncalled for!" Sora yelled back.

"Hell yeah it was called for! We have a mission you know! And I don't trust Namine with Riku……" Roxas mumbled the last half of the sentence.

Sora raised an eyebrow and grinned, "Why? Scared that you might actually lose to hot and sexy Riku? Scared that Namine will go. 'Oh Riku! Save me! Save me!'" And all the while, he gave imitations of a _very_ feminine Namine in front of Roxas……until Roxas decided to hook him in the face.

"SHUT THE HECK UP!" Roxas was seething, for that was exactly what he thought Namine might do. Funny how somebodies and nobodies think alike. Still, he felt uneasy. He knew that Namine loved him as well, but……like Sora said, Riku seems more handsome, more cool, heck, even stronger maybe, though now he felt sure he could kick Riku's ass in one-on-one.

Sora waved his hand in front of Roxas, "Hellooooooo? Anybody home in there? Helloooo?" Roxas slapped his hand away, "Cut it out!"

Sora grinned good-naturedly, "Sorry bro, the temptation to do that was just too hard to resist. But, just relax. Namine won't fall for Riku, trust me."

Roxas raised his eyebrows, "Why's that?"

Sora laughed, "Because, Riku has one thing that the both of us lack, well not exactly lack, but like something we are severely inferior to."

"Oh, what's that?"

Sora grinned widely, "The ability to piss off any friend of the female gender in one way or another……"

* * *

_**Back with Riku and co……**_

"Okay……thanks girls. Thanks a lot. I learnt my lesson now, and erm, mind casting Curaga one more time Namine?" Riku grumbled; his face full of new scratch marks and a black eye.

"NO! You deserved it! How DARE you say that the two of us can't beat you! See, we can!" Namine glared at him. Kairi was giggling like mad, "I wonder what Sora would think when he sees you. He probably already expected that."

Riku slapped his hand to his forehead, "God, if Sora and Roxas saw him like this, he would never, as in _never_, have his dignity anymore. Man, getting wasted by two skinny girls was embarrassing enough, and being owned by them using nothing but bare hands………there'll be no end to the teasing that'll come from them……

Which was why he immediately said, "Girls, now, please, do NOT mention this to Sora and Roxas……"

Namine immediately smirked, "Why's that?" Kairi was still giggling.

Riku frowned, "Heard of something called dignity?"

Namine admired her fingernails, "Nope, forgot what it feels like or means." Kairi was stifling her laughter the best she can.

Riku growled, "Fine! I'll do chores for the two of you for a day, I'll be the servant, okay my mistresses. Now, would you be kind enough not to mention this to Sora and Roxas?"

Namine thought for a while, "Tempting. Make that a week and maybe I'll consider." Kairi burst out laughing at this point. She just couldn't hold it in anymore. It was WAY too funny. Riku getting owned by a female. This could go down in history.

Riku gave up, "Fine, fine, fine. I agree. Shake on it?" Man, Namine makes Nevaeh seem like a totally innocent girl. He blinked, why was he making comparisons? Isn't that Nevaeh girl his enemy?

Namine smirked, "That's the spirit. Hehe, I could get used to this. Riku, as I recall, you blamed me in Twilight Town when I went into the simulation. Is that correct?"

Riku gulped, uh-oh. She's bringing up all our past conflicts and directing them at me……shit.

"Is that correct?" Namine repeated, blinking her eyes ever so innocently. Riku now knew better than to judge ANY girl by her appearance, no matter how pretty or angel-like she is.

Riku sighed and nodded.

"Good. And let's see. Come on Kairi, you think of something to! It's not everyday we manage to get Riku under our control." Namine said to Kairi.

Kairi temporarily stopped laughing, and looked playfully at Riku, "Alright! I'm sure I could think of something……"

Riku almost fainted after hearing that. This is definitely not his day……

* * *

_**Back with Sora and Roxas……**_

"I don't exactly understand what you just said." Roxas was still confused.

Sora laughed and explained, "Look, it's like this. Riku, as cool as he is, is always known as the hottest boy in school. Therefore, he has loads of fan girls. And there many cases where he tried to flirt with a girl by showing off how strong he is and how smart he is etc. But what he didn't know is that all the girls he failed to win over, hated him because he was such a masochist, in their opinion."

"And there was that one time, when he was trying to flirt with the captain of our school's cheerleading squad, erm……her name was erm……right! I remember! It's Kim! Yeah, oh boy. He was going on about how the girls should relax and let him do all the work since he's a boy and all that, and Kim just went a kicked him across the room. I was laughing like crazy when I witnessed that. He made me promise not to tell anyone……"

Roxas was rolling on the floor laughing. He couldn't even imagine the high and mighty Riku getting rejected by a girl, let alone, get kicked too. "But you told me, so you broke a promise then. Aw, you shouldn't have told me." Roxas frowned.

Sora stuck out his tongue, "Well, it doesn't really count as telling someone else, because you are my nobody, so we are technically the same person, so me telling you is just me telling another part of……me. So yeah, you don't count as somebody else! See, my logic rules!"

Roxas sweat dropped, "What kind of twisted logic is that? Even if you have a point. That just sounds weird."

"I was hoping you would say that I found a loophole in that promise. That sounds better."

Roxas sighed, and walked on, ignoring the brunet that went on rambling about how smart he is at finding this……this aw, he couldn't say it. This doesn't even COUNT as a loophole. Jesus.

* * *

_**Back with Riku and the girls……**_

"Ah-ha! I remember the time when you threw a coconut at my head!"

"Yeah, and that time! You didn't let me go out and buy some sea-salt ice-cream!"

Riku seriously had no idea how long this was going to go on for. The two of them have been nailing him down with all sorts of tiny things he did, even if it wasn't quite his fault, they counted it in, they must have named fifty by now……

"Right, and there was……"

"ENOUGH!" Riku finally exploded, "I said I'm SORRY! S-O-R-R-Y!! Okay?"

Namine smirked, "YES! I got it!" Kairi cheered as well.

Riku was dumbfounded, "Huh?"

Namine grinned evilly and took out a camcorder from behind her back………

"GIVE ME THAT!!!!" Yelled Riku as he chased after the two girls as they ran away, laughing their heads off.

* * *

_**With Sora and Roxas……**_

"We're here." Sora took a deep breath. He looked at Roxas, waiting for him to get ready.

Roxas took out Oblivion and Oathkeeper and got into his usual stance. Sora summoned Ultima Weapon and together, they raised the three keyblades and visualized the door to Kingdom Hearts before shouting out, "Unlock!"

And sure enough, the same familiar silver door appeared. The two boys grinned and proceeded through it, only to find themselves in a place where……wow, nothing exists.

Sora blinked, "Huh?"

He looked around, it was just, one big room……everything was white. Roxas frowned, "Erm……I thought there was supposed to be loads of heartless here?"

Sora then pointed at twelve peculiar shaped blocks further away. Roxas squinted and immediately saw what they were. "Sora! They are the graves for the other members! I get it! This must be the realm of nothing! Not light, not darkness, but nothing! The place where nobodies exist!"

And with that, the two boys sprinted towards their destination. Roxas couldn't believe it. He……he was agitated. He was looking forward to it! But……he's a nobody. So how exactly is he feeling all these emotions?

Sora spoke up, "It's in your soul and memory." Roxas looked at him, "Huh?"

Sora grinned, "You remember the emotions as they were deeply etched into your soul and are fresh in your memory. Simple as that. And since you're my nobody, we both get kinda emotional easily I guess." He scratched his head sheepishly.

Roxas smiled, "Thank you." Sora grinned again, "Any time. Now, what say we get started on unlocking every single one of the graves?"

Roxas meanwhile was standing in front of Axel's grave and with a flash of red, Axel appeared all of a sudden, standing there, with a look of total confusion. "What the……ROXAS?!"

Roxas smirked, "Sora, your turn, take your pick."

Sora nodded and directed his keyblade at the grave of Xemnas. A flash occurred and slowly, an aqua light began to rise from the graves and slowly, a familiar dark-skinned man with his white hair slicked back slowly walked out facing Sora and Roxas with a look of surprise on his face.

And with that, the two proceeded to unlock every single grave and within minutes, the rest of Organization XIII were standing right before their eyes.

There were almost tears in Roxas' eyes, "You guys……are back……"

Sora cleared his throat and was just about to speak, when suddenly a kunai was flung at him. He immediately raised his keyblade to deflect it, only to find that electricity bolts were sent flying his way and soon, hundreds of energy arrows were lodged all around him, all ready to be sent his way, plus, icicles were blasting out of the flower every few seconds, and what with deadly flower petals flung every now and then, followed by boulders rising from the ground, Sora found that he was having the time of his life executing Reversal.

Roxas immediately came to his aid and shot a firaga at Larxene and Xigbar, "Cut it out!" before casting reflectga to altogether annul the attacks from a seething Vexen, a pissed off Marluxia and a very angry Lexaeus.

Larxene was gritting her teeth together, "Hey, I got killed by this little midget; I'm not going to get killed again. I'm going to erase him once and for all." Xigbar however stopped, "Roxas?"

And that was when everyone, and I mean every single one of the nobodies noticed him, gave a huge cheer, and went up and hugged him, including Xemnas. "Hey, what do you know?! Our very own little virgin midget's back!" Xigbar laughed out loud.

Axel was seriously crying this time, "God, you have no idea how much I wanted to see you again Roxas." Even Xaldin and Saix seemed glad to have him back. Demyx was clinging onto him and shouting, "Whoo! Roxas is back! Finally!" Larxene merely 'Hmphed', yet she had a smile on her face. Marluxia, Zexion, Lexaeus, Vexen simply smiled and patted him on the back. Luxord was ruffling up his hair and pinching his cheeks and laughing hard at the same time.

Sora's jaw was glued to the ground. Just a moment ago, they were all trying to kill him, and the next they were all celebrating his nobody's return……what the heck?

He cleared his throat, "Erhem……Look, I know you're all excited that I revived you and all that……"

There was a gasp of surprise, Zexion stepped forward and looked at him in the eye, "You revived us? What's your scheme?"

Sora rolled his eyes, "For god's sake, I'm not a smart guy like you, so no, there's no scheme. I'm reviving you to ask you guys for help."

At that, even more murmurs, and it was Xaldin that spoke up this time, "And if we refuse?" Sora sighed, "Well, then, I guess it's bad luck for me. I shall either get killed by all of you, or I shall destroy you nobodies once again."

Xemnas quietly walked to him, "And why should we help you, seeing that you personally obliterated half the organization by yourself."

Sora looked at him straight in the eye, "Xemnas, first of all, I revived you guys, and for this alone, I think you should thank me already. Secondly, I offer you guys truce, if you guys no longer send heartless to the worlds. And the last one, I'm sure the most appealing to you guys, would be to help you obtain hearts and I must add, that's the main reason I need your help in."

At the mention of obtaining hearts, everyone's attention went to him. Xemnas looked shocked, for that was not the answer he thought he was going to get.

Sora sighed, "Yes, I know, you never thought I would even suggest that right. But right now, I'm telling you something. There's a group of Keyblade Wielders that are called Chasers. They are our enemies. The reason being……"

Suddenly, laughter erupted throughout the room, Xigbar being the one that spoke, "HAHA! You keyblade kids fight each other! What the hell? HAHA!" Roxas shouted this time, "Guys! This is serious! We could get our hearts, or we could die if we're not careful. I……I nearly died." He finished quietly.

"What?!" Axel shouted. Everyone became silent. Roxas sighed, "Yes, I almost got defeated. If not for Sora, I would have been. And I'm back all thanks to Sora."

Saix thought for a while, "Sora, if you don't mind our outburst please continue, I would like to know more about these……Chasers was it? Yes, I want to know what makes them this strong that they can even defeat our very own Nobody Keyblade Master."

Marluxia frowned, "Roxas can be counted as one of the strongest among us, so we trust you for now, hurry up and spill it."

Sora sighed and thanked Roxas before continuing, "The reason they are so powerful is because they can harness the power to extract hearts. Put it simply, they take hearts from others, stuff it in themselves, so they have multiple lives. Got it?"

Zexion spoke up this time, "Meaning, their bodies are able to withstand the strain of multiple hearts and we are unable to obtain even one?"

Sora nodded, "What's more, they find you guys very difficult to fight with. Yet, they have ways to make you succumb."

"I don't think so. Did you just say they have more than one heart?" Lexaeus replied. Sora nodded, "And the main reason that they find it hard to fight against you is because……well, you're nobodies and you guys don't have a heart. And what's the heart gonna do when it meets people that don't have a heart?"

Vexen snapped his fingers, "The heart refuses to handle the strain and therefore finds a easier host body, that being us and therefore, might get out of control as it tries to get to us somehow, causing this Chasers to have very bad coordination in their body. Right?"

Sora smiled, "Exactly! So, what do you say? Help us out here? You guys might even get a heart out of this."

Xemnas thought about it for a moment, "We'll consider about this, but for now, we need to get back to the Castle that Never Was to piece this little information together. Everyone, to the meeting room. The usual. Sora……what makes you so confident that we might not betray you or murder you right here, right now?"

"Well, I'm not confident at all, but I'm willing to take the chances. I've learnt that darkness is not scary, it's not evil unless you want it to be, so nothings must be the same. And you guys did try to murder me on the spot didn't you? So I guess……"

Roxas was looking at Axel, "What's wrong, you seem deep in thought……"

Axel smiled, "Nope, it's just that, I find it hard to believe you're actually back. Is Namine okay?" At the mention of her name, Marluxia stiffened, "Where is that little witch?"

Xemnas frowned, "That's right, Marluxia, you tried to betray me, was that right?" Marluxia gulped, "Erm……superior, let's talk about this in private. I hate letting that little punk see me like this……"

Xemnas gave him a cold glare, "Fine. We ask for an hour of time, Sora. When our decision is made, you shall either be killed straight away, or have us as allies. We nobodies give you our word."

Sora nodded, and watched as the Organization members walked out, one by one. Xemnas looked at Roxas, "You coming?" Roxas shook his head, "I've already decided. I'm going with Sora's plan. He needs my help." Xemnas merely nodded and walked out as well.

Sora suddenly fell to the ground, exhausted, "Man, I thought I was dead for a minute. Thanks Roxas."

Roxas nodded and said, "We better get out of here fast and lock the door, in case more heartless come stomping through."

Sora agreed and once outside, they locked the door to Kingdom Hearts and with a wave, the door disappeared.

* * *

_**Back in the Castle that Never Was……**_

"You can voice your thoughts freely now. Marluxia, I forgive you for attempting to betray me. I must be pretty hard on you before, so I shall not put the blame entirely on you. So since that's settled, your opinions?" Xemnas said calmly.

Saix spoke up, "I find it hard to trust that kid."

"My thoughts exactly. He killed us once, why should we trust him?"

"Well, Roxas said so."

"But still, Roxas' on his side now."

"I just want to puncture him full of holes right now."

"I think we should do it. Being allies with him might be a much easier task than sending heartless towards him. That was too bothersome."

"NO! I'll never be allies with that punk. Case CLOSED."

And as the members continued to bicker, everyone sensed the opening of several portals and looked at Xemnas. He thought for a moment, "Vexen, Lexaeus, Marluxia, the three of you check the Proof of Existence. Larxene, Axel, check the second floor of the Hall of Empty Melodies. Xigbar, Xaldin, Demyx, Saix, clear the first floor of the Hall of Empty Melodies. Zexion and Luxord, guard this place. I myself shall interact with these……Chasers……"

And with a nod, the respective members disappeared into their portals straight away, wanting to know if the Chasers were really as what the little dude said.

* * *

_**With Vexen, Lexaeus and Marluxia……**_

"Oh ho! Look what we have here? Three random nobodies! Oooh, look, one of them's a sissy too! Man, pink hair? Well, at least the one in the middle looks like he could fight. Is that a BOOK? Man, what a drag. Fine, since this is a mission, let's see, I'm giving you three a choice, surrender and fall under the command of us, the almighty chasers! Or die a painful death! Ooops, you can't die a second time eh? Bwahahaha!" The one that spoke also wore a white cloak, yet he was huge. He was twice bigger than the three nobodies put together.

The Chaser was busy laughing, and did not notice the veins nearly popping out on Marluxia's face. Lexaeus looked like he was ready to kill, Vexen merely summoned his shield. The fat Chaser turned to look at them again, "Huh, what's this? What do you think you're doing? Resisting? Sissies like you resisting? Don't make me laugh, what can you do? I think it's best you guys just act like good little boys and surrender."

Marluxia turned to Vexen, "Did I ever tell you I hate you a lot?"

Vexen smirked, "Nope."

"Well, I take that back, because you know what?"

"I think I do."

"I hate arrogant bastards, scratch that, make it FAT arrogant bastards. Which is why I'm gonna tear your guts out with my scythe!" And he charged.

Vexen grinned at Lexaeus, "Did you see that coming?"

Lexaeus merely shrugged, "Maybe. But I'm gonna rip that guy apart. It's been a long time since I found someone I hate more than that wielder."

Vexen's eyes turned back to the Chaser and became icy cold, "My thoughts exactly." And in an instant, he blasted icicles right at the Chaser whereas Lexaeus aimed his tomahawk directly above the Chaser and slashed at him……

It was clear which side they were supporting already.

* * *

_**Larxene and Axel…….**_

"Hey Sparky, long time no see. How ya doing?"

"Shut it, you stupid pyro. I have no interest with speaking with a pervert."

"What was that you thunder freak?"

"You heard me, pyro maniac!"

"Oh, I don't think you wanna piss me off."

"I think I do. 'Cause it doesn't even matter!" Shouted Larxene as she flunk her kunais right at Axel.

"Fine, you sadistic bitch!" And Axle got out his chakrams and the two began to fight whilst shouting out curses at everyone.

The Chaser was hiding in the shadows, and after seeing how strong they were, he thought that by sucking up to them, he might succeed.

Which was why Axel and Larxene suddenly heard clapping, they snapped their head in the direction of the irritating noise that disturbed their "wonderful" reunion. There, clapping his hands, was a random guy wearing a white cloak, with a mask on the left side of his head and he was smirking, "Now, now, what do we have here? Two lovers in fight? How nice! Who should I help?"

He secretly congratulated him for making such a good comment, but when he raised his head, his colour drained from his face. Why? You ask. Well, that's because he was faced with an absolutely furious Axel and a pissed off Larxene. How can he tell? Well, the fact that the entire room Axel was in got lighted up and Larxene's kunais were being flung at the speed of light at him, accompanied by blasts of thunder every now and then proved his intuition right pretty much. The Chaser didn't even know what hit him before it was over.

Axel turned his head away from Larxene, and the same went for her. "Listen, if you ever dare mention what that guy said, I'll personally maul you." She whispered. Axel grunted, "Same goes for you, sparky."

Her vein twitched, "I thought I told you NOT to call me that, you pyro!"

"Oh yeah! What do I call you then? Flashy? Glinty? Glimmery? Glowy?" He teased as he watched Larxene's face scrunch up in anger, "THAT'S IT! YOU'RE GOING DOWN!" And the fight resumed.

* * *

**_With Xigbar, Xaldin, Demyx and Saix……_**

"Look, they're going at it again. Pathetic isn't it. It's obvious they have the hots for each other, yet they still fight. Random." Xigbar cussed as a kunai lodged itself on the ground where his foot was two seconds ago, followed by a fire blast right at him. Two shouts of "I HEARD THAT!" explained everything.

Xaldin turned, "We've got company." Saix watched coldly as two portals opened up and out came two women wearing white cloaks that showed off their alluring figure and curves and the seductive smiles they wore on their faces said everything.

The one on the left spoke up, "Look, there are four of them. Two each? Looks like we won't be bored tonight, think we can keep them to ourselves?"

The one on the right replied, "The guy with the cross mark on his head looks delicious you know……"

"No way! That little kid with blonde hair looks much cuter. Can I eat him?"

Xigbar and Xaldin's faces were getting ugly by the minute. Why? Because the two bitches standing in front of them had not even mentioned about them, only praises for how hot Saix and Demyx were. Saix continued to stare at them coolly, whereas Demyx was busy humming to himself, thinking about a new song.

Finally, the women stopped their chit-chat and said, "So how about it? Will you accompany me you little cherry? And you, that old dude with that eye patch, it's not like I want you, but I have to I guess." At this, Xigbar exploded and within a second, appeared behind her and shot an energy arrow in her head, sending him up and without further warning, sent ten shots flying into her body smashing her into the air, Xaldin leapt forcefully and summoning six lances came crashing down on her with such force that the ground cracked and shuddered when he landed.

The other women was apparently shocked, for she thought that the two would attack each other, not them. Looks like she was wrong. Her mouth opened wide and before she could even retaliate, Xaldin already used the Jump command nine times in a row and one final blast from Xigbar ended the job. Both landed gracefully back to back.

Saix clapped, "Good fight. Thanks for doing my job. Come on Demyx, we shall leave the ugly ones by themselves, or so the two women said." And with that, he left with a smirk on his face. Demyx merely shrugged and whispered, "Hey, I'm sure they didn't mean it, it was just to get you guys angry, although it was kinda true……OUCH! HEY! HELP! SAIX! THEY ARE KILLING ME!"

Saix laughed out loud this time, seems like the side they'll be supporting became clear within a minute.

* * *

_**With Luxord and Zexion……**_

Silence. Total silence. It was unnerving. Luxord had always been the type to have fun, why else would he play cards? (_A/N Lol! My own interpretation:P) _Yet, it seems that the Cloaked Schemer just refuses to talk to him. And it was getting boring, real boring.

"Hey, since, we have nothing to do, wanna play some card games with me?" Luxord offered. Zexion shrugged, "No point. You'll just win by cheating anyway. You _are_ the Gambler of Fate after all."

Luxord frowned, "That wasn't very nice."

And silence once more. Eerie silence……and quiet. Great, just great.

* * *

_**With Xemnas……**_

"So, what business may I ask you have here?" He asked the guy whose keyblade was shaped like a chainsaw.

"Ha, let's be polite. Name's Razor. Objective, force you to join us Chasers. And there's no way I can fail. I'm just superior to all you lame nobodies. You're nothing. You don't exist. So you can't be strong. Get it? I mean, I fought this kiddy nobody once, what's his name? Right, Roxas I think."

At the mention of Roxas, Xemnas' fist clenched, "So, it's you who disturbed No. 13 was it?"

Razor guffawed, "Number thirteen? What the hell? You think I even care?! Your organization's probably been torn apart right now! And your members must be dead after fighting with our squad of Chasers. Man, what a drag……"

Xemnas said nothing for awhile before sensing several portals open all beside him. Razor laughed, "See! They are here to get you now! Yo guys! You can come out now!"

A voice rang out, "Sure we can! How you doing Superior?" said Marluxia as he stepped out with his gigantic scythe. Lexaeus followed right behind. Vexen came out as well, followed by the rest of the members. Luxord looked quite frustrated, "Superior, I just came to see if you needed help, seeing how SOMEONE refuse to work cooperatively."

Zexion raised his eyebrows, "Meaning?" Luxord was about to yell when Sora and Roxas turned the corner, "Hey, what's with all the ruckus? Huh, RAZOR! You son-of-a……"

Razor's jaw dropped as he faced the entire organization and the Keyblade Master, all looking ready to tear him to shreds. He immediately gulped and opened a portal, and just as he was about to step inside, Xemnas voice rang in his ears, "You hear this Chaser, and you hear this clear. We nobodies shall never ally with you. Oh and remember, next time you step in this castle, try and give us more of a challenge, I'm sure we would all appreciate it."

Razor growled, "I'll get you all next time!" And with that he disappeared.

Sora dismissed the keyblade and walked cheekily towards Xemnas, the face on his look said everything, "Well, Xemnas?"

Xemnas actually smiled this time, "Wielder, looks like we shall be repaying you from now on. Everybody agree?"

"HELL YEAH! How DARE they call me old!" Xigbar.

"Ignorant fools! They shall pay!" Xaldin.

"They are quite dumb……" Vexen.

"No one makes fun of us……" Lexaeus.

"I don't really care." Zexion.

"Looks like they underestimated us." Saix.

"They are gonna burn in hell." Axel.

"Why did I get hurt?!" Demyx.

"If it's not as boring as this……" Luxord.

"No one calls me a sissy……" Marluxia.

"How dare he say that me and ……." Larxene.

Sora grinned widely, and held out his hand, "DEAL!" Roxas too was grinning, if not smirking. Xemnas gave a short laugh and shook his hand, "Deal."

* * *

**_HAHA! I found the last part extremely interesting to write. But man, it was so tiring! I'm expecting reviews for this chapter! XD _**


	7. Friend

_**A/N: Lol, so last chapter's humor was a success! Yay! XD **_

_**Okay, now that I know, maybe I'll add more angst to balance it out. Maybe not, cause angst stuff is coming out soon anyway. Oh, and of course, thank ALL of you guys for your reviews! Meant so much to me! x3**_

_**Oh and Talitha, don't feel sad after reading this. A lot of bloodshed to a certain someone. If you know what I mean……**_

**_Disclaimer: Look, for the last time, I do NOT own KH. And Nevaeh belongs to Talitha Koum as usual, but I swear, I might steal her someday……hmmm…… sounds appealing…… :P

* * *

_**

Hold Me Tight, Don't Let Go

Chapter 7: Friends

"Right, now that we are finally done with all the minor problems, let's get down to business." Namine declared after Riku finally gave up on grabbing the camcorder back. Kairi nodded, "Riku, come on! We need to go check up on the others!"

Riku gave her a glare, "I thought I suggested that like half an hour ago, yet, the two of you didn't even care and just went on naming my mistakes. Now, you tell me, let's go! Ha. Lame."

When he looked up, Kairi and Namine were long gone. Riku really wanted to kill himself right there. "God, who the heck's supposed to be the leader?" Riku groaned and slowly limped towards Destiny High.

Kairi meanwhile, charged right into class and shouted, "Selphie! You alright?!" Only to find the entire class staring at her. Her maths teacher, Mr. Steiner was beyond angry. In fact, he was jumping up and down, exasperated, "Ms. Revane, may I ask what brings you to _yell_ in my class when you come in _late_ by three hours?" And it was only when Kairi moved did he stop yelling and stared at Namine, "And who might this be?"

Namine bit her lips nervously, after all, this was her first time meeting so many people at once. Kairi immediately thought of a brilliant excuse, "Sir, I apologize for my late arrival. But you see, this here, is my twin sister. And she just arrived from er……Twilight Town! That's right, she took the morning flight and well, my mother was really, really sick today, and was unable to go to the airport to pick her up. So, I had to go pick her up, or else she might get lost, or worse, she might get kidnapped! But I understand if you punish me. It was my fault that I was late after all, I'm really, really sorry." Said Kairi as she proceeded to wipe imaginary tears off her face, sniffing the whole time.

Mr. Steiner immediately stopped his ranting and went over to comfort her, "There, there, I understand. Why didn't you say so earlier? I totally understand. Now, now, don't cry. I don't blame you anymore, okay. Aww……please, no more tears. Right, erm……as an apology, I allow you to show your sister around school today. I shall speak with the head of discipline today. Sigh, I hope Beatrix isn't in a bad mood today……" And soon, he began to start rambling about how Beatrix might scold him and stuff.

Kairi took this as the perfect opportunity to escape and therefore, gave a small wave to Selphie before dragging Namine out of class and running as fast as she could out of school. And guess what, this ended with her smashing right into Riku and her knee ended up somewhere on a very sensitive part of Riku, causing him to almost faint in pain. Not noticing this, Kairi struggled to get up after giving out an "Ow!" And whilst doing this, her knee continued to grind at that certain part so as to get a good footing to prevent her from falling again. And all along, she did not notice certain noises Riku were making, breathless noises.

Namine wiped off her sweat and looked at Kairi, "Okay, that was weird. Hey, look, it's Riku! What's wrong? Why's your face all green?" Kairi finally got up and slowly began to realize the situation, "OH GOD! Riku, was that……was it you?" She gasped in horror.

Riku seriously did not know what he did to offend the creator of this world. Maybe it was the fact that he let Nevaeh go……still, this kind of punishment is just too much……he felt……forget it……

No word could adequately do justice to how distraught Riku was feeling right now. Engaging a seriously childish little girl that managed to maul him and paralyze him, using up all his power to retaliate, get healed, get wasted again, then after winning, no after _drawing_, he got blackmailed and scratched by Namine and Kairi, next, he chased them like crazy for blackmail material, then finally he got kneed in the groin for five minutes. Life is unfair. He knows that, he just never thought that it would be _this_ unfair.

* * *

_**With Sora and Co……**_

Sora gave a huge sigh of relief while having a rest in Roxas' room. He had actually got all the Organization members on his side this time. And after chit-chatting with Demyx and Axel for a while, he decided that they weren't as bad as he thought they were. It was amusing really, watching Axel and Larxene bicker forever, listening to Demyx play random songs on his sitar, silently snickering when watching Marluxia tending to his pretty lawn, guffawing when Luxord actually lost to Zexion in a card game, laughing his head off when Xigbar and Xaldin were arguing over who looked more handsome.

With Saix, he illogically got along kinda well with the berserker. In fact, Saix summoned his Claymore and showed Sora a few deflecting tactics and even taught him how to evade some attacks from long-range weapons. It was a valuable experience. Vexen too, helped by making the environment all icy, causing it to be slippery, thereby really testing Sora's flexibility and agility. Roxas was practicing against Lexaeus so as to strengthen himself for the battles that were to come.

Even Xemnas sometimes gave a tip or two. It looks like they really became allies. After the training, he took a rest before asking them, "Why are you guys suddenly so good to us?"

Xemnas looked at him for a moment, before laughing, "Wielder, you really are naïve aren't you? We want to guarantee that you are able to get us our hearts. We don't want to ally with you to have you die the next second. Training you is a must. Of course, mentally and physically you are fit. And did you even think that I might be trying to gather data to find your weaknesses and destroy you once this is over?"

Sora looked him in the eye before giving a shrug, "Meh, doesn't really matter. I'll just have to evolve from your data to something better that wouldn't be defeated by you. Simple as that! And anyway, why would you want to destroy me after I gave you a heart?"

Xemnas gave a nod, "Good answer. Now Wielder. I gave you my word. I hope you will be able to carry out your duty." Sora nodded, before grinning at Roxas.

Roxas recognized that grin in an instant and knew that he was up to something. Sure enough he pounced on Roxas, and ruffling his hair, "Come on Roxie! Let's have a practice match!"

"Grrr……I told you NOT to call me that!" Roxas growled and finally succeeded in throwing Sora off his back.

"Roxie eh? Um……that's better than Rox I suppose. Ok! From now on, I'll call you Roxie!" Axel piped in this comment whilst dodging Larxene's deadly kunais. Demyx, upon hearing this, went to Sora, "Hey, you think I should write a song about this?"

"NO!!! Don't you dare Demyx, or I'll personally see to it that your sitar is demolished. _IN FRONT OF YOUR EYES._" Roxas said with a murderous glint in his eyes.

Demyx whimpered at this sight and hid behind Sora, and not really succeeding since Sora was shorter than him. Sora merely grinned and summoned Ultima Weapon. Roxas 'hmph'ed and took out Oblivion and Oathkeeper. And with a dash, both clashed together. And as the fight proceeded, the members of the Organization all stopped to view this battle. It was truly magnificent, even Xemnas had to admit, the Wielder had gotten even stronger after their fight.

They were both moving at such speed that afterimages were beginning to form. Why? Because Sora was trying to activate a Form. And succeeding. Roxas raised an eyebrow, 'So, he can now use a form even without the help of allies……I see. Well, if he can, that means I can as well.' And with that, he began concentrating on Final Form. In a flash of white, there we have it. Roxas standing proudly with Oblivion and Oathkeeper suspended in the air on his back by magic. He looked dashing.

Sora however, ignored this outburst and grinned like a maniac, "All right! I succeeded!" And with a whoosh, gold and silver light surrounded his body and in an instant, Sora stood there in a brand new costume, with a keyblade in either hand. Gold and silver looked great on him, yes, yet, there was something weird about the air around him that Roxas couldn't quite comprehend. Sora took a deep breath and disappeared in an instant. Appearing on his right in a split second, he began to hack away at Roxas who was trying his best to block. He continued to move at such a high speed that it was almost impossible to tell which is the real body.

Xemnas was watching with interest, "So……this kid managed to use my battle data and evolve it. Interesting." It was like what he did during their final battle. Only Sora further improved it. Xemnas formed two afterimages. Sora formed twenty.

Roxas gave a growl of frustration and executed Explosion, destroying a couple of afterimages. Then Sora appeared again and grinned, "Okay, time to use the move I learnt from Cloud! Check this out! " He reappeared in the air above him, and proceeded to slash down on Roxas' head. Roxas sensed his presence, and immediately executed Glide to evade in the last possible second. Yet, Sora wasn't done.

"Now, this is the good part. Get ready Roxie! Climhazzard!" Sora smashed his keyblades hard onto the ground and three huge vertical shockwaves brimming with electricity, fire and ice were aimed directly at Roxas. Roxas gulped, he was in mid-air, and even if he used glide, he will collide with the shockwaves even faster. He took a deep breath and muttered a spell, "Firaga!" and whoosh, he aimed it at the ground and the impact of the blast forced him back upwards into the air, narrowly avoiding the shockwaves, although his clothes weren't that lucky as they got sliced.

Yet, Sora appeared in an instant, "Not over yet bro! This one's from Cid! Hyper Jump!" And dashing right on top of Roxas, he positioned the two keyblades and an orb of light forms on the tips of his keyblades and without warning, he sends it flying at Roxas. Sora wasted no time in gearing up, positioning himself with his keyblades, ready to crush him if he didn't respond.

Now, note here, the keyword is 'if'. Roxas didn't want to be crushed. Hell no, he has a few tricks up his sleeve himself. He grinned too, "Sorry to disappoint you! Stardust Ray!" And multiple blasts of light and dark energy were flung directly at Sora forcing him to abandon his current attack, what's more, Roxas concentrated and began gathering all the energy he could muster into a gigantic ball and sent it right at Sora's attack, successfully nullifying the light orb, and with ease, both Sora and Roxas landed back on the ground, panting and gasping for breath but nonetheless, they were both grinning at each other.

They both inhaled slowly and returned to their normal state. They both started laughing and patted each other on the backs, "Man, Sora, what was that?" Roxas asked.

Sora laughed, "I got it recently, when I was thinking of all the friends I've made and their attacks and suddenly the clothes began to react. Let's see, how does Trance Form sound?"

Roxas thought for awhile, "Not bad! It's kinda true really. You enter a trance and use attacks you have never used before. Kinda cool."

Sora grinned and turned around to ask Xemnas and the others what they thought only to find half of them there with their jaws glued to the ground. Roxas saw that too and the two began to guffaw like crazy. It was way too funny. Axel, Demyx, Xigbar, Marluxia, Luxord, Xaldin and Larxene were the ones that showed way too much amazement. Zexion, Vexen, Saix and Lexaeus were merely shocked. Xemnas was smiling, why he was, everyone had no idea.

Xemnas spoke up, "So……you are able to think of your friends and use their attacks at will in that form. Interesting. Looks like you were right when you said that you would evolve from my data."

Sora grinned, "Not only me. Roxas too. I'm sure that attack was a new one as well. Ain't that right Roxie?" Roxas sighed, "Yes, and for the last time, stop calling me Roxie!"

Sora pouted, "No fair! Then how come Namine can call you that?"

Roxas scratched his head, "Er……it's because she doesn't listen even if I told her not to. You're different. I could kick your butt if you don't listen."

Sora blinked his eyes and then, realization dawned on him, "She loves calling you that, and you being goody-boy, wants to please her, so you let her call you that eh?" He was going to continue explaining when a bright-red Roxas covered his mouth and just laughed awkwardly at the rest of the bewildered members.

* * *

_**With a certain someone……**_

"So……those two……are Mr. Riku's friends. The Keyblade Master of Light and the Keyblade Wielder of Darkness. Should I warn them? Should I? No. I can't, Master will have my head for sure. But………" mumbled a certain white-haired girl as she stood in the corner, unnoticed by any of the nobodies around her.

* * *

_**With Riku and the girls……**_

Riku suddenly sat up. Something was wrong. He could sense it. His eyelids just kept flickering. That was a bad omen. He tried to sense if there were any more enemies around them. Yet, his energy told him that it didn't exist. That left Sora and Roxas, but he doubt they would be in major trouble. Still, it wouldn't hurt to check up on them.

"What's wrong Riku?" Kairi asked as she noticed that Riku's face expressed unease. Riku merely shrugged, "Nothing."

Kairi sighed. "I have no idea what's wrong with you two. Namine just keeps blushing for some reason. You look ticked off. Did I miss something?"

Namine's blush intensified, "I have no idea why this is happening to me too! It's just that, I feel shy all of a sudden……I don't……"

Riku then summoned a portal,"Must be because Roxas is either real shy about your relationship with the other members, or he must be bragging about you right now. I'm picking the first one. Knowing him, he must be tired having to stick his fist in Sora's mouth to prevent that idiot from blabbering every two minutes. Come on, let's go check on them."

Kairi giggled, "Yep, that sounds like Sora alright. Come on, Namine, don't worry! Roxas loves you, I can tell. Let's go!" She smiled warmly as she stretched out her hand, waiting for Namine.

Namine blushed again, "Well……okay." And so without further hesitation, they all proceeded through the Corridors of Darkness.

* * *

_**With Sora and Roxas……**_

"Roxas, would you STOP gagging my mouth??!!!" groaned Sora, annoyed.

Roxas, on the other hand, was beet red, "I would if you shut up about me and Namine!"

Sora rolled his eyes, "What are you being so shy about? Can't you see that even Xemnas is happy for you?" Roxas looked at Xemnas and the rest, to find half of them sniggering, and half of them looking at him slyly, and Xemnas, well, he was looking at him with an expression that he couldn't quite place. Was he teasing him, or was he scolding him or was it happiness? He really couldn't tell, but knowing Superior, he figured it might be the first or second. No way would the third option ever happen.

* * *

_**With Nevaeh……**_

She was still peeking at the two wielders from outside the Hall of Empty Melodies. And she decided that she would warn them after all. There was just something that she couldn't understand. How can the two of them be so carefree after all that's happened? Shouldn't they be more serious?

They just seemed so……innocent in a way. And Nevaeh could tell, they were not faking it. It was genuine. So, therefore, here she was, trying to think up an excuse so that Master won't rip her heart out……literally.

And just when she was deciding on whether "Oh Master! They are good runners, and I couldn't quite catch up, and they ran for three hours straight!" was better or "Master. I apologize, but you see, they had been staying in the toilet for three hours that I had to give up." A portal opened up.

She widened her eyes in surprise, wondering if Master had sent someone to check on her. She was even more stunned when Kairi and Namine walked out of it………followed by a certain Bluish-white haired Wielder of Twilight.

Seems like the wielder saw her too, as his eyes widened as well, and the reaction that both of them gave were……really, erm……interesting? For both of them pointed at each other and yelled out loud, "What the! It's YOOOOOOUUUUUUU!"

And both summoned their keyblades at the exact same time, and got into their stances simultaneously. This caused quite a scene for Kairi and Namine, who were amazed that they acted like quite the couple, what with all these co-ordination in movements. It was lucky that the rest didn't hear them, why would the Hall be called Empty Melodies otherwise? It was soundproof, that's why. It was designed by Xemnas so that Demyx can play random rock songs loud as on his sitar without disturbing anyone else, also, it can be used by any members when they want to bully Demyx for pissing them off with his songs. The walls prevented his screams from being emitted. Pretty useful. Oh, it was made to ward against Fire and Thunder as well, just in case a pyromaniac and a sparker decided to fight it out in there.

Nevaeh forgot what she was about to say at that moment, and began to charge with all her might at Riku, "Roar! Dragon Fang!" Riku gritted his teeth, and braced himself with Way to the Dawn. **CLASH!**

Riku grinned, he had expected this strength, but what Nevaeh didn't know is, after getting blackmailed, he had vowed NEVER to lose to a girl again. And no way in hell was he going to lose so soon after he swore to himself. Damn, his dignity is at risk for the……what fifth time? God this is unfair.

Nevaeh continued to unleash slash after slash, not giving Riku a chance to breath, she was gaining speed, trying to unleash that Oblivion move she was getting ready for. Riku saw this and with a swift move, shot a Dark Aura at Nevaeh, forcing her back, and leapt into the air, and soon, darkness surrounded his keyblade, and got into his stance, and closing his eyes, he took in a deep breath, "DRAGON DIVE!"

With unbelievable speed, he began to dash around in circles above Nevaeh, surrounding her with wind, thereby preventing her from escaping. The air was gradually brought to form a hurricane by this huge speed, and in an instant, Riku found her weakness, it was her………oh boy……this attack won't look good on her……. So for the sake of his eyes, he closed them and charged at her from a height of twenty metres, straight down, gaining momentum, thereby creating a huge force field around him, and the darkness surrounding his keyblade increased by the minute, forming the shape of a dragon, howling madly, and at that moment, his eyes opened with the intent to kill. **SLASH!**

Nevaeh was sent flying into a nearby wall, literally. She crashed right through a pillar first, which softened the impact of the final blow. Though her back felt like breaking at that moment. She clenched her fists and sighed as she felt herself fall helplessly onto the ground. Once again, she was defeated.

Riku landed gracefully and dismissed the darkness in an instant. He was breathing heavily, for he wasn't fully recovered yet. And trust me, flinging yourself around in the air like crazy before crashing right down onto the floor again is no way to help yourself recover. But he was glad that he was able to pull the attack off. He gently walked over to Nevaeh and kneeled down beside her, "What are you doing here?"

Nevaeh didn't answer his question, he heard her mumble, "I lost again." Riku shook his head, "Don't worry about that, tell me; why were you spying on Sora and Roxas?" She looked at him with such a look that he felt his heart wrench. It was a look of pure sadness and melancholy. She was sad that she lost. Her. A Chaser.

Most people wouldn't care otherwise, thinking that it's obvious that someone would be sad if they lost. Yet, Riku knew. A chaser wouldn't really be sad, he would more likely be furious. Or be sadistic, or sarcastic. It wouldn't be melancholy. Nevaeh was actually feeling very strongly for her loss here, and tears were threatening to fall any moment now.

It suddenly hit Riku. She was disappointed that her skills weren't enough. That had to be the reason. It must be because that she had someone to protect. Or something like that. He sighed and looked at her with a gentle smile, not mocking, not fake, but a real, genuine smile. That got hold of her attention.

She looked up at him, with her puppy eyes, NO! NO! NO! Don't go there! Riku instructed his mind. He whispered, "You know, being defeated by me doesn't really mean that your skills are of no use anymore. You have to think positive. All you need to do, is train harder. Besides, it's not like you recovered anyway. So it wasn't a fair fight. It's a draw again. You had better buck up next time. I'm running out of excuses here, you know." He added with a smirk.

Nevaeh looked at him and pouted, "Then don't use them!" And as she proceeded to get up, Riku's face immediately reddened and gently pushed her down again. She sighed, annoyed, "What's your problem now?! I going to warn you guys now. Why are you stopping me?"

Riku turned his face, "Erm……I slashed a very important part of your cloak, so er……just stay seated and tell me why you're here."

Nevaeh looked at him confused, but replied nonetheless, "There's a high possibility that Master will soon send someone over to try and assassinate the two wielders inside. I was just about to go in and warn them before you came and hacked at me." She said the last part with strong emphasis.

Riku frowned before scratching his head. At that moment, Sora chose to stick his head out of the door, "What's with all the……noise……" He mumbled in surprise as he saw Riku being extremely close to an unknown girl with white hair. And behind him, Kairi and Namine were holding a broom each. "Hey Riku! Look……"

"OUCH!" Riku yelled as he got mauled yet again by the two girls.

"Out……" Sora finished lamely as he just watched Riku get beat by……the almighty……broom girls. Roxas then came out and joined him.

Riku was yelling, "Hey! If you have the time to watch, why not help me out?!"

Roxas shrugged, "Entertainment?" Sora nodded, "Yeah, you deserve it. Now you know what it's like when Kairi gets mad at me."

Riku tried to get away from the two girls but was unsuccessful, "Hey, what did I do now?"

Namine and Kairi both yelled, "How could you attack such a cute girl?! She's so young! But that's not the point! Why were you ignoring us?!"

Riku finally managed to get out of the massacre and rushed over to Sora and Roxas, using them as a shield. Kairi and Namine suddenly stopped at the sight of them.

"Sora!" Kairi ran up to him and hugged him tight.

"Roxas!" Namine jumped right into his hug, clinging onto him lovingly.

Sora and Roxas both grinned victoriously at Riku.

Riku seriously wanted to die right there. Really. Life is way to unfair. Was it just him, or was everyone picking on him today?

He suddenly remembered Nevaeh, and rushed back to find that she had already disappeared. "What the……" Riku checked everywhere, yet was unable to find her. He rushed right into the Hall of Empty Melodies and grabbed Zexion by the collar, "Tell me! Did a portal appear a minute ago?"

Zexion was somewhat surprised that the usually calm Riku would become this agitated. Wait, why was he here? He did smell him, yet, he thought it was just the result of drinking too much wine.

Sora and Roxas walked back in, "What's wrong?"

Riku turned around to face them, "That girl back there. She was a Chaser, yet she came to warn you two why you two were fooling around, now she's disappeared! If I'm not wrong……" He looked at Zexion.

Zexion nodded, "Yeah, I sensed a portal on Naught's Skyway. It was headed for somewhere in Hollow Bastion."

Sora and Roxas immediately summoned their keyblades, "We'll go with you." They knew what Riku was going to do. Riku nodded gratefully, and opened up a portal straight away. Just then, Xemnas stopped him, "Why are you helping someone from the Chasers?"

Riku bit his lip, "I get the feeling she's hiding something. She might be new to the organization, and of course, I owe her one for looking out for Sora and Roxas. Besides, helping her might get us some useful information. Now GET OUT OF MY WAY!" He hollered.

Xemnas gave a rare smile, "She's in the Great Maw. You better hurry, that someone was that Chaser that tried to take me on. His name was……"

Sora gasped, "Razor!"

Riku wasted no time and charged straight into the portal. Sora and Roxas followed suit, with Kairi and Namine right behind them. Xemnas snapped his fingers, "Vexen, Zexion." The two bowed, "Yes, Superior?"

"Go and collect data about that Razor guy. He……feels somewhat different. Go check it out. I feel that something big was about to happen in their organization. Note down any notable strong attacks that he is able to use." Xemnas ordered.

"Yes, Superior." And both summoned a portal and headed to their destinations.

Xemnas frowned, he had a bad feeling about this. The aura he felt earlier ago had gotten a lot stronger, and he wanted to know why. Surely, surely it couldn't be as easy as getting a few more hearts. He had to find out. For all of Organization XIII, he needed to know. He would not allow this idiocy to continue.

He had finally understood Ansem the Wise's comments about the heart being unpredictable. Yes, it's true. Yet, these Chasers are despicably taking them for their own. He will not allow it. Not when thousands of nobodies have desired for a heart for so long. He closed his eyes, this time, he must succeed.

* * *

_**With Nevaeh……**_

She was totally unaware of the figure that sneaked up behind her and it was not until he pulled her into the portal did she recognize his face, "Razor!"

He just grinned his evil grin, "You've been a very bad girl Nevaeh……"

And before she could even retaliate, she was dragged along the Corridors of Darkness until they reached a totally unfamiliar place with a huge ruin in front of them. It sort of looked like a castle. She looked around her, where is she?

Razor was still grinning maniacally. In fact, Nevaeh had always been scared of this figure, but she's never admitted it before. She asked, "Did Master send you to get me?"

Razor looked at her, "Master? Oh, you mean that stuck-up old bastard. Nah, he no longer exists."

Nevaeh's eyes widened at that. "What……what do you mean?"

Razor rolled his eyes, "That means I killed him. Me. That guy was pissing me off. It was so easy. He had only one heart. Psh. Useless old man. He was too kind. He kept telling me to not go hunt for hearts, wanting to keep losses at the minimum, he said. What a load of cow dung."

Nevaeh wasn't sure whether she was scared……there were a lot of emotions that she had forgotten how they felt. She was guessing this one was fear. "No……no way! How did you……"

Razor laughed, "Ha! A couple of nobodies did the job. I just grabbed two dusks and threw them at him, waiting for him to weaken, and then all I had to do, was purposely drag the battle. The dusks cannot be killed. I place a spell on them. The old man eventually lay wasted by me. Good thing too. Now the Chasers will have a real leader. And you know what the real leader decided to do first of all? I decided to get rid of traitors……"

And in one quick move, he grabbed her by the collar. He slowly raised his hands and muttered, "Karma……" A purplish dark light glistened on his hand as it slowly enveloped it. It formed a sharp claw and began to grab at her by itself. She looked at Razor in horror. Oh no, hell no, please no.

Razor saw the look in her eyes and laughed sadistically, "You shall become part of me! Annihilate her!"

And in an instant, the dark claw plunged itself into her chest, and grabbed her heart. And that was when Riku came out of the portal……witnessing a scene horrifying beyond imagination. Nevaeh let out an ear-piercing scream as the claw proceeded to tighten its hold on her heart and began to rip at it.

"NOOOOOO! LET HER GO YOU BASTARD!" Riku immediately summoned Way to the Dawn. Sora and Roxas winced at the scene in front of them, whereas Kairi and Namine felt like throwing up.

Razor smirked, "Too late bro." **TEAR!** The heart was ripped out. The pain on Nevaeh's face was indescribable. And the scream made it all the more unbearable. It made Riku insane. Which was why he began to charge at Razor, not giving a damn about anything else anymore.

Razor saw this, and using his free hand, he summoned his huge chainsaw and made up another clone of himself. He threw the chainsaw to his clone. He turned his attention back to Nevaeh and whispered, "Don't worry, after I tear the second one out, you won't even have the strength to scream……" He laughed loudly as he slowly absorbed the heart. He glowed temporarily and licked his lips, "Hm……good. Now I have five. My sixth heart coming up!"

Nevaeh wanted to faint, but couldn't, all she could whisper was, "No……please, no……ARGHHHHHH!!" As the claw groped around, roughly pushing her muscles aside, trying to find the second heart. And after finding it, it once more, tightened its grip on it and began to rip it out.

Riku couldn't even bear to look at her. He could see the tears in her eyes, her scream was so helpless that it made the scene ghastly. He growled and all of a sudden, darkness surrounded him. "Power of Darkness! Join me once more!" And as commanded, darkness enveloped him. The clone of Razor smirked and charged at him and proceeded to attack him.

And just as Razor was about to absorb the second heart, Riku roared with rage and a huge blast of darkness was sent his way, forcing him to drop Nevaeh and dodge out of the way. Yet, he was shocked when he saw Riku. "DEATH GIGAS!" And slowly, darkness began to envelope him, bit by bit, and Riku began to transform. He too, had an extra keyblade, yet it was an exact replica of Way to the Dawn. His whole outfit became like that of anti-form, yet it was worse. It was even more horrible. His muscles increased in size, and Sora gasped as he saw that Riku's eyes filled with the intent to kill.

Riku began to growl and with inhumane speed, dashed right through the clone, ripping it to shreds straight away. He then threw the clone away and charged at Razor, who brandished his huge chainsaw in an attempt to stop the insane Riku. Yet, Riku merely brushed it aside as he began to lay out combos at such speed that it was almost impossible to even see where the keyblade was going to go, let alone block it. Riku then gave a deafening roar and leapt into the air, he raised his keyblades and smashed it right onto Razor and with this momentum, he crashed into the ground with him, "LANDSCRAPER!" And sure enough, Razor was sent into the air as the impact was so strong that even the ground wasn't enough to nullify it.

Riku again, then placed his hands together and charged a huge Dark Aura and sent it flying at him, "DARK METEOR!" It hit Razor with such force that he was sent right through the ruins of the castle a kilometer away. And it wasn't until then did he stop flying through the air. He couldn't even stand. He coughed up a lot of blood and inspected himself. Damn, that guy's crazy. He sighed and with a weird movement, he proceeded to spit something out. That something proceeded to be a heart.

Riku was glaring at him, ready to strike again. Razor laughed as he reabsorbed the heart that's always been on his hand, "Not bad! But not good enough! So long. Oh, and thanks to your attacks, she might be dead by now. See ya!" And he left through a portal, his evil laughter echoed around the Great Maw.

Riku immediately got out of his stance and ran over to Nevaeh, "You okay?" He whispered as he cast Curaga straight away, sealing up the slash on her chest. She whispered something and Riku gave a sigh of relief, before smiling gently at her, "We are friends aren't we? That's why I fought for you. Friends help each other out." He whispered soothingly as he gently brushed his fingers through her hair so as to make her feel better.

Nevaeh looked at him, and for the first time, smile at him genuinely, "Thank you……Mr. Riku……my friend……" And with that, she fainted, into Riku's arms, knowing that finally, she has found someone to protect her, someone to care for her. Finally. She got herself a friend………

* * *

_**So……er…sorry if I made Nevaeh suffer too much. It had to be done. I needed to show you guys how cruel Razor was because that's what the Chasers in my story will do. Which is why Sora and Riku must defeat them. Okay, you can flame me for too much angst or grammar or anything. I won't mind, because you have a reason. But other than that, I did use humor to balance it out! LOL. Please review! XD**_


	8. Discoveries

**_A/N: First of all, I thank all those who reviewed! XD Really meant a lot to me. I know, I keep repeating myself, but it's the truth. Really. And it really helps a lot if you sign in and review. That way you'll definitely get a reply. If not, well, it makes it kinda troublesome, know what I mean? x3_**

**_Disclaimer: I shall never own KH in this life, that's for sure. And I don't own Nevaeh. She belongs rightfully to Talitha Koum. Sad life huh……meh……

* * *

_**

Hold Me Tight, Don't Let Go

Chapter 8: Discoveries

"Now, don't be silly, I'm just giving you a shot……" Merlin tried to explain to a very frightened Nevaeh.

"NOOOO!!! You're going to kill me with that aren't you?! Don't lie! That……thing……is soooo sharp!! NOOO!!!" Nevaeh struggled strongly against the ropes that Leon tied her up with about ten minutes ago. He got fed up with her tantrums and got Merlin to do the 'dirty' work.

Kairi and Namine tried their best to calm her down but it was……quite unsuccessful, to say the least. Sora and Roxas were going over the stuff that happened with Leon. Aerith and Tifa insisted on putting Riku to bed and giving him a medical checkup after hearing what he did. Cloud was out patrolling, whether that was because he was bored, or he got fed up with Nevaeh's squeals, no one could tell.

"Look, Aerith, I'm fine. Really, now please let me go?" Riku pleaded. He had never told anyone, but……he was kinda scared of shots as well. He just didn't like the fact that a sharp, thin needle is going to be stuck into your arm and enter your blood vessel and……he shuddered just thinking about it.

"No, you're not fine. Honestly, there are cuts all over your body! Are you going to cooperate or not?" Tifa glared, cracking her knuckles to make sure that the message is clear. Riku immediately stiffened and replied quietly, "Yes Mdm."

Aerith then proceeded to inject some antibodies into his body to help him fight against any infections that might have occurred during the activation of Death Gigas. Tifa was placing cold towels on his forehead and making him as comfy as possible. They were like caring older sisters, taking care of their younger brother who got injured while playing around………in a way, it was true. Riku HAD gotten injured……'playing around'.

Just then, Leon came back and looked at Nevaeh, who was still yelling and struggling like mad, and whispered something in her ear. Her eyes widened and immediately grabbed the syringe from Merlin and began to inject the medical substance into herself obediently.

Merlin gasped in surprise, and looked at Leon. Leon merely shrugged and told him, "Next time, use your magic and transform the syringe to ten times its size and wave it in front of her face if she still acts like a baby." Merlin blinked at this statement, and chuckled, "I see……"

Leon then proceeded to chat with the girls and ever so slightly jerked his head towards the door at Sora and Roxas. Said two nodded and gently pranced towards the door. Yet, Sora being Sora, erm……'accidentally' tripped over Roxas' foot and that sent him hurling into poor Roxas and the result, well, both got their faces smashed onto the door.

Kairi and Namine heard this commotion and immediately understood what happened, "Where do you think you're going?"

Roxas glared at Sora in exasperation whilst Sora just grinned sheepishly. Leon sighed and rubbed his fingers on his forehead. What else could he do when watching two girls interrogating their boyfriends?

Roxas gulped and turned his head away, "Erm……we were……er……just going……for a walk! Yes, that's right! A little evening stroll never hurts anyone. Don't worry; you didn't think we would leave so soon now, did you? Hahaha……"

Namine narrowed her eyes and scrutinized Roxas……real carefully, "You're lying aren't you?"

"No I'm not! Roxas denied straight away.

Namine retaliated, "You are! See, every time you lie, you turn your face away and you blush faintly. See this red spot here?"

"OW!" Roxas yelped as Namine began to pull his cheek.

"See……now be a good boy and admit it……" Namine cooed, activating her puppy eyes for maximum effect.

Roxas gulped, oh no, don't give in, no, you can't say, she's going to kill you if you tell her………oh so tempting……NO! No way!

Sora wasn't having an easier time either. Kairi was standing there, hands on her hip, "If you don't tell me what you're going to do truthfully, don't even think about getting out of this room!"

Sora sighed, "Kairi! It's just a _walk!_ No big deal!"

Kairi replied, "Why do I think you're just lying?"

Sora feigned a look of depression, "How could you, Kairi? I'm offended! Hmph!" And with that, he crossed his arms and went upstairs.

Kairi, even though she knew that the expression was fake, followed him. She cared for him and was going to reason with him upstairs……in private.

Roxas, meanwhile, was still unsuccessful in trying to convince Namine that he wasn't going to do anything dangerous. Leon shook his head at this and turned to Merlin, "How is she doing?"

Nevaeh was now sleeping peacefully; completely oblivious to what was happening around her due to the sedative Merlin applied to her. Riku too was asleep. Merlin replied, "Good. In fact, I think they will fully recover by tomorrow morning. Let's not disturb them, and what is with all the ruckus out there?"

Leon rolled his eyes, "Our junior heroes here are having trouble with their girlfriends." Merlin chuckled, "You think they need a little diversion?"

Aerith then thought of an idea, "Hey Tifa, how about we both argue about who gets to go on a date with Cloud? That way, the two girls over there would surely be interested."

Tifa's eyes widened and blushed, "Aerith!"

Aerith grinned, "Don't worry. I won't steal him from you. Just act like I'm your rival. Come on, it can't be too hard, can it?"

Tifa still hesitated, "Well……but……what if Cloud suddenly……"

Leon spoke up, "Don't worry. I'll be at the door, and I'll try to stall for time. Now hurry, before he actually gets back."

Tifa finally got ready and took in a deep breath. Aerith meanwhile, got hold of Leon and whispered something into his ear. Leon's eyes widened, looked at Aerith, and then laughed. "Sure." He replied.

Aerith nodded and signaled to Tifa that she was ready. Show's about to begin……

"Aerith! Are you going on a date with Cloud?"

"So what if I am?"

"I won't allow it!"

"Oh? What makes you think you can stop me?"

"You only like him for his good looks."

"Isn't that good enough?"

"Of course it isn't!"

"Oooh! Somebody jealous?"

"Who? Me?"

"I think you are jealous because Cloud agreed to go out with me and not you! Well, it's not my fault that you didn't want to ask."

"That's not the point! You don't love him! Why go out with him?"

"For fun, laughter, peace and joy, take your pick."

"Are you making fun of me?"

Leon was listening to it all the time outside and was trying really hard not to laugh. It was way too amusing hearing Aerith be so mean all of a sudden. Both Tifa and Aerith are kind and caring, even though Tifa definitely packs a punch and Aerith with her staff……best not to go there. Anyway, he wondered what Cloud would say when he heard all this. For in the distance, he could see a certain spiky blond haired guy carrying his huge buster sword on his back.

Kairi was upstairs trying to get the truth out of Sora when she heard the sudden outburst. Both teenagers exchanged a look and quietly tip-toed downstairs to see what was going on. They quietly hid behind Cid's huge computer and found that Namine and Roxas were hiding too, listening to the intense argument between Tifa and Aerith regarding the obvious subject: Cloud.

"I can't believe you would do this Aerith! Do you even like him?"

"Of course I like him, why else would I go on a date with him?"

"Argh! That's not what I meant; do you love him for who he is?"

Aerith knew she was getting there as she watched Tifa's frustrated face, "Oh, you mean do I love him for his charming face, his muscular body and his……"

"NO! Not just the outside, the inside as well! Do you?" Tifa yelled. To her, this was WAY more than just an argument.

"Would you care to elaborate?" Aerith tilted her head towards the door and sure enough, there was the slightest bit of blond hair sticking out in the doorway and she began to chuckle……evilly before she moved her body ever so slightly to block that particular view from Tifa's eyes. So, tonight will be the night where thick-headed Cloud finally understands how Tifa feels about him.

Tifa's eyes immediately glowed at the mention of Cloud and her voice softened, "Do you love him for how gentle he is with you? How much he cares about you, how he would even sacrifice his light just to be with you? Do you? Do you really want to help him get out of the shell he has created around himself and help him embrace light forever? Do you?"

Aerith really gasped this time, she knew Tifa loved Cloud, but she had no idea she loved him this bad. "So what you're saying is that whoever loves him should not just judge him by his appearance? Well, well, Tifa. I'm impressed. I'll remember that, thanks for the tip. I'll be sure to do what you just said. Oh, by the way, seeing how you'll never get Cloud, tell me, do you love him?"

Kairi and Namine both gasped, they had no idea that the Aerith they knew could become this evil. Sora and Roxas however saw that Cloud was at the door, stopped by Leon, and they knew something big was going to happen.

There were almost tears in Tifa's eyes, but she held her head up high and said, "Yes, I love him……with my heart and soul." And just as she was about to break down, Aerith however, was jumping up and down with glee, "All right! She said it! She confessed! YES!"

Everyone in the room, other than Nevaeh and Riku, had their jaws on the floor. Having Aerith act really mean was already incredibly unbelievable, yet, this was downright implausible.

Tifa too, looked at her confused. Aerith giggled before motioning towards the door, "Okay Leon, did you hear that?"

"Yeah, every word can be heard clearly from here." Leon's reply was filled with laughter.

Tifa was still confused, "Erm……Aerith? What's going on?"

Aerith gave her a big hug, "Good job Tifa, now let's let Cloud tell you what he thinks about your wonderful confession."

And then, they heard the door open. Once the smallest bit of spiky blond hair came into view, Tifa knew what was happening. Oh no, please no, HELL NO!

Ah, but hell yes, because there was Cloud standing at the doorway, eyes widened, yet there was a smile on his face. A big one.

Tifa was blushing like crazy, she had no idea Cloud was listening all this time. Oh……how is she going to face him now?

Cloud took a step towards her, "Tifa……I……I had no idea you……well……what I meant was……I……too……" He was at a loss for words. Damn it. Finally she confessed her feelings, yet he couldn't even bring himself to say three simple words. And he had always thought it was real easy. Hmph, apparently not.

Aerith frowned at his stuttering and poked him, "Hey, hey, hurry up! We don't want dear Tifa to be waiting all day for a goon like you to say it." Leon too came back in and quietly motioned to Roxas and Sora.

Cloud sighed, "All right, Aerith, calm down. Tifa, what I wanted to say is just that, I love you too." And he immediately jerked his head aside; a faint blush could be seen on his pale face.

Tears were flowing down her cheeks by now. Cloud was startled and immediately began to wipe them off with his fingers, panicked, "Wh……what's wrong Tifa? Did……I say something wrong?"

Tifa punched him playfully on the chest, stood on her toes and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. Cloud just stood there, totally stunned. Ok, now he understood why Sora kept saying that women were an unpredictable species. Yet……

He looked at Tifa before smiling, and gently lifting her chin up, "I think I deserve more than that." Before kissing her deeply once again. Tifa had no objections as she kissed him back. Talk about dream come true. This was a golden moment.

Kairi and Namine both blushed at the scene and clapped along with the others and just when they wanted to melt into the arms of their beloved boyfriends……they realized that they were gone.

Sure enough, the door was open. "SORA!" "ROXAS!"

* * *

_**With Sora and Roxas……**_

"Can you believe that we actually made it?"

"Not quite. But thanks to Leon, yes, I can."

"Come now, open up a portal. We're going straight to Xemnas to inform him about Razor. Plus, it's training time."

Roxas nodded and sighed, it's always so troublesome trying to keep the girls from worrying.

Sora chuckled, "I know, but still, they're worth it, don't you think?"

Roxas blinked, and then grinned sheepishly, "Er……I said that out loud?"

"Uh huh." Sora's grin was as wide as his face.

"You wouldn't, would you?" Roxas asked.

"Nah, can't be bothered. Besides, I've got my own share of problems to deal with." Sora grinned.

Roxas gave a sigh of relief before opening up a portal……

* * *

_**Back in Radiant Garden……**_

"Grrr……I can't believe they sneaked off yet again!" Kairi pouted while she sat on the sofa, crossing her arms. Namine sighed, "We let our guard down. And I was looking forward to going with him again."

Just then, Riku began to stir. He slowly got up from his bed and tried to smoothen his hair before yawning and stretching himself. And it was then that he found his left arm to be extremely heavy. He then heard a slight moan and looked to his left. There was Nevaeh, snuggling against his arm, looking ever so comfy. Riku smirked, thinking, 'Who's the boss now……wait……why did I think that?' He shook his head and gently tried to pry her fingers.

Nevaeh merely held on tighter and mumbled, "No, don't go……" Riku blushed a little, but soon realized that there were two pairs of eyes staring at him and in an instant, he turned around, Way to the Dawn in hand, ready to strike down the enemy, only to find Kairi and Namine staring at him from a distance of five centimeters.

"Uagh! What the……jesus! What's wrong with you?!" Riku nearly fell off the bed due to the close distance between him and the girls. And he felt really uncomfortable, what with the sly grins on their faces.

"Riku, I had no idea you were that good at wooing a girl." Kairi smirked.

"I think you just broke another record." Chirped Namine.

Riku immediately slapped his hand to his forehead, why didn't he see this coming? He sighed, "Sadly, no. I'm just her friend. And I'm definitely not that desperate so as to get an enemy that I've just saved yesterday to be my girlfriend. That's just wrong."

Kairi looked puzzled, "Then why is she holding on to you so tightly?" She believed Riku because even though Riku flirts a lot AND lies a lot, like Sora and Roxas, he never lies when it comes to relationships. He was always truthful, painfully truthful actually, because all the girls that he broke up with were crying their hearts out for a week at least before they got over it.

Riku sighed, "Well, it looks like she's really longing for friends, and well, I think we get a pretty good picture of what kinds of people belong to the Chasers. Get my point?"

Namine nodded, "Poor thing, having to get along with all those mean men."

And just then, Merlin came in and said, "Kairi, could you please come for a moment. There is something we would like to inform you of. Namine can come if she wishes. And Riku, on no conditions are you allowed to get out of bed. Or else I'll zap you with ten thousand volts to make you suffer the consequences."

Riku gulped and lay down in bed straight away. Namine giggled at this and pretended to stroke his head as if he were a baby. The snarl he gave made the girls laugh even more.

Kairi then went to the living room and found Leon. He nodded and motioned for her to sit down. "Kairi, we received a letter from Master Yen Sid. He said he felt a faint aura within you when he met you. That is the will to fight. Now, try and recall what it felt like when you fought. Think about the person that's most important to you; think about someone that you would risk your life to protect."

Meanwhile, in the other room, Aerith too was relating this too Namine. The exact same questions were asked. And as both Kairi and Namine closed their eyes and thought about the questions, the answers came to their mind straight away. Spiky-hair, caring, loving………And in an instant, their clothes began to glow. However, they had no idea what was going on, all they had on their mind, was how Sora and Roxas were there for them all the time, how much they loved them………

And all of a sudden, an unknown element began to course through their veins; their entire body was filled with energy and **ZAP!** Their eyes snapped open.

Kairi gasped as she saw the familiar pink, flowery blade in her hand. Namine, on the other hand, had a blade that had different shades of color with the tip looking like crayons. Their clothing was unchanged. Yet, Kairi felt the abundant amount of energy within her. It wasn't strength……no, it was more like……

"Magic." Merlin answered for her. Kairi looked at him surprised. She had never had contact with magic before.

Merlin was stroking his beard and smiled merrily as Namine too entered with her blade. He beckoned Namine forward, along with Kairi and began to explain, "It's amazing really, and it's exactly like he says. The two of you, being the Princess of Heart and the nobody of the Princess of Heart possess extraordinary powers. No, not of physical strength or defense, but of magic. You see, this blade you think you have here, is more like a staff really. It can be used as a means of physical attack, yet the result would have been meager."

"Yet, if you are able to harness the power within you and focus it on magic, then, the result would be phenomenal. Your magic shall be far stronger than the keyblade wielders, for they possess the powers of physical properties and the ability to use magic is merely another means of attacking to them, nothing more."

"Now, Kairi, focus on your staff and tell me its name." Merlin then said.

Kairi's eyes widened, "This……this is insane! I……I don't have any powers! And……what do you mean it's NAME? How can a staff have a name? And this doesn't even look like a staff. I thought it was a keyblade!"

Merlin chuckled and said, "Now, no need to panic, calm down and take a deep breath. Good. Now, you can call it whatever you want. It can be a staff, it can be a keyblade. It's up to you. But to be able to harness its power, you've got to know the name of it."

Kairi looked at him, confused, but did as she was told and closed her eyes, picturing the keyblade in her mind, "May I know your name? _If you have one……_"

And all of a sudden, a teenage girl about her age popped into her head, _"I do have a name you know! Haha! Did I frighten you? Don't worry. I'm just a conscience of the blade. Not a real person. Oh, by the way, my name is Floral Fallal. Nice to meet you. Teehee……" _

"WHAT THE HELL???!!!!" Kairi snapped open her eyes in shock. Namine was curious as to what made Kairi freak out and therefore attempted to have a conversation with her blade, "Erm……hey, if you're there, erm……may I know your name?"

"_Sure. At least you're polite! That's a good sign. Name's Full Throttle. Honestly, why would you name a keyblade Full Throttle?" A tomboyish teenage girl stood in her mind. _

Namine grinned, "Well, then, nice to meet you." And with that she gently opened her eyes. "Hey, my keyblade's name is Full Throttle, what about yours?"

Kairi slowly calmed down and remembered, "Oh right, Floral Fallal." And with that, they both turned to look at Merlin, who was beaming.

"Excellent! Truly marvelous! So you two ARE the destined wielders of magic. Brilliant. Now, from here on, we shall be practicing your magic in the room upstairs, not the bedrooms, but in my study. I would like you two to be able to use your magic and power at will if the need comes. And this time, I'm sure the need comes. You shall be able to join the battle as well, if you use magic, you shall be able to fight from a distance and everything should become safer for you."

"So, shall we?" Merlin asked as he magically conjured a set of stairs that lead to the trap door up above.

Kairi and Namine looked at each other, both had the exact same thoughts on their mind, 'Being able to fight and help Sora and Roxas? Hell yeah I'm doing this……'

And with that, both gave a triumphant nod and proceeded to trek up the stairs……

* * *

**Ooops, sorry for the late update! School's starting and I have to get ready. This chapter's pretty short, but the next one would be longer. And er……I hope I haven't made this too boring. LOL. Anyways, I would be updating once a week now, I think. Not much time. I have to juggle between work, music lessons, piano exams and school. Not exactly pleasant. Oh and of course, Read and review! Tell me whether you want less or more fluff. Up to you guys. XD**


	9. It Begins

**_A/N: Ok. Here's the thing. My com crashed. You think that's why I did not update? No. Close, but incorrect. See, I fixed it. Wasted 2 hours of my life and fixed it. Typed up 4000 words again. And guess what happened? It crashed again! Yes, my friends. My bloody com just crashed…… twice……within 2 days. Nice com isn't it? So here I am, getting ready for another 4000 words and hoping that the ideas are still in my brain, if not……let's not go there. _**

_**Disclaimer: KH stands for Kingdom Hearts, which also stands for I don't bloody own it. Done. And to emphasize my pathetic-ness, I don't even own Nevaeh! She just can't seem to escape from Talitha Koum!!! **_

_**P.S. In case you haven't noticed. I'm really pissed. **_

**_P.P.S Face it, who wouldn't be in my situation. _**

_**P.P.P.S. And before I get into a fit again, thx to all my lovely reviewers. Sorry to keep you waiting, but here's FINALLY chapter 9. **_

_**P.P.P.P.S Am I ranting?

* * *

**_

Hold Me Tight, Don't Let Go

Chapter 9: It Begins

They were at the Olympic Coliseum.

Why were they there?

Training.

How long were they there for?

One week.

What kind of training did they do?

One on one.

What does that mean?

It means Sora and Roxas try to kill each other.

How many times did they fight?

More than a thousand.

Who won?

No one.

How come?

Result so far. 0 wins, 0 losses, 1238 draws.

Simple as that.

Hercules really had no idea what was happening. All the spikey-haired brunet said was, "Sup, Herc! Need a place to train! Mind lending me the arena? I'm pretty sure you won't mind!" And that was it. He charged in with another spikey-haired blond, and if it wasn't for the fact that Sora had just charged in, he would have suspected that Sora dyed his hair blond for some unfathomable reason.

Now, he wouldn't say he regrets it. Nope, not one bit. Because of this sudden event, he got to see some of the most amazing attacks ever to be created. And seeing them being executed by two sixteen year olds is just plain marvelous. He hate to admit it, but no way he could spin seven hundred and twenty degrees in air, narrowly dodging the Strike Raid executed by Roxas and retaliate with Ars Arcanum the moment he landed on the ground. He's a hero, no doubt, BUT, he was no stuntman, hell no.

Yet, something was more intriguing. The two people that arrived here an hour later, were seriously……weird.

* * *

_**With you-know-whos……**_

"Hey Sparky! Cool down will ya?"

No answer, oh, well, if you could call having ten kunais flung your way as a form of answer, well then yes, she did respond, though not a very friendly response.

Axel smirked, '_Oh boy. She's angry. But you have to admit that she's so much cuter than when she becomes a cold-blooded killer……WOAH!' _

Larxene was MORE than pissed. She was ready to kill. And that means Axel's gonna die. How DARE he call her Sparky in front of all those people? Oh, he shall pay. No matter how 'hot' he is, he's going down. Pun is intended.

Axel looked like he was having fun. Why? Meh, guess he failed to mention that teasing Larxene was his favourite hobby. At first, when he got this mission, he thought it was going to be boring. I mean, a grown up man, watching two kids fight it out for like ever. It's just sooooo immature. BUT, when Xemnas happened to let slip who was joining him on this mission, he immediately made it a point to thank him in the future. And of course, he needed to get ready for his partner didn't he?

Surely, she won't mind being with him?

As for Larxene, when she got this mission, she actually felt that it was going to be worth its while, for she would be able to see how much Roxas has grown, and of course, ALL of Sora's techniques, which should prove vitally useful for future combats. YET, superior just HAD to say that. "_Oh, by the way. No.8's going to be your partner for this mission……" _

She could still remember the smirk on his face. God. Did she ever tell anyone that she hates life? Maybe she did, that's why she died and became a nobody……GOD.

* * *

**_With Sora and Roxas……_**

"Time to finish this! Take this! Blade Beam!" And with superb control over his strength, Sora concentrated all his energy onto the tip of his blade and flung it directly at Roxas, causing a gigantic shockwave to form. For a moment, it looks as if Roxas was done for.

Yet, he was grinning, "All right! I'll take it and return it back to you! SHOCK!" Electric sparks were seen all over his body, and similarly, the two keyblades began to charge at insane speed and with a huge **SWISH!** Two horizontal electrical shockwaves were sent towards Sora.

The two attacks clashed straight on. It seemed like a draw, what with light flashing all over the place and what with the shockwaves slowly nullifying each other, yet, Sora continued to grin, "Sorry bro. Aftermath coming up." And as if on command, the shockwave emitted by Sora split further into ten smaller shockwaves, yet the power they held was still substantial.

Roxas gave a low whistle, "Hey, that's _cheating_." Yet, he didn't seem at all disappointed, it was as if he was expecting this. He then braced himself, "Sonic Blade!" And once more, flung his Oblivion at the shockwaves with tremendous strength. And amazingly, Oblivion began to spin at an alarming rate, stirring up a gust of wind that sucked all the shockwaves into it, thereby completely nullifying it.

Herc was sweating just by watching this fight going on. Phil was just cheering like mad. Meg was drinking a cup of tea and reading a magazine.

In the blink of an eye, the two were once again caught in a weapon deadlock. And it was really easy to tell the outcome of this battle as well……

"I'm winning this one, if you don't mind."

"Actually I do."

"You think I care?"

"Yes."

"……you acting funny or something, 'cause I ain't laughing."

"…………"

And of course, within ten seconds, both boys slumped back onto the ground, panting heavily, gasping for air.

Meg didn't even look up, "Match 1239. Draw. Again."

At that, both boys groaned. They would never have believed that drawing was such a frustrating thing. What's worse, drawing with your other…………

Sora huffed, "Hey, Roxas! You have any idea how long this is gonna take? 1239 draws……that's just lame."

Roxas replied, "I know……but I guess it can't be helped. How else can we train? Fighting against each other is actually the best, considering you know all of the others' attacks. You know mine the least."

Sora frowned, "Hey, come to think of it, you have the upper hand! You know all my attacks! How come you still can't win? Oh, I get it. You're _weaker_ than I am……hehehehe."

Roxas immediately roared back, "Hell no! I'm not weaker! It's just because you've been hogging the body, that's why I lack practice. If I fought as much as you do, I could easily defeat you. No sweat."

"Oh yeah?"

"YEAH!"

"Then bring it!"

"My pleasure!"

And that was how battle number 1240 began………

* * *

_**Back in Radiant Garden……**_

Riku, once able to move, headed off to Disney Castle along with Nevaeh to try and see if he can get more information about the Chasers. Meanwhile……

Namine was seriously getting impatient. Using magic is SOOO not her style. She thought to herself, '_I mean, how dumb is it? You have to stay away from your opponent, and concentrate like crazy, before you can even pull something off. That's just so unfair. Roxas gets to go through all the action and fun stuff……while I have to stay behind……UNFAIR!!!'_ which was why she began to develop a whole new type of fighting.

Kairi, on the other hand, is apparently enjoying this. She now has this extreme fascination with magic. It was sooooo interesting. All you have to do, is imagine the attack, and depending on your concentration, the strength of your attack varies. What's more, you can even blend elements together, or string them into threes. Extremely useful. She loved it. She can use all four basic elements to perfection. She was currently working on Cure. She knew it was going to be a necessity. She smiled at the thought of finally being able to help Sora, and it was with this determination of not being left behind that she trained with all her heart.

Merlin was beyond happy with their results. He was overjoyed. Kairi completely mastered the elements within two days! She can even mix them together. The results are incredible. However, what intrigues him was what Namine was trying to do. She was combining magic with physical attacks. The effects of the attacks were actually amplified on a single target instead of what magic was supposed to do.

Leon noticed that it was quite similar to what was happening with his gunblade. By pulling the trigger while cutting down his opponent, greater damage is dealt. Yet, with Namine, it was obvious that magic would be able to do a HELL lot of more damage. Just thinking about it made Leon smirk. He always had the idea that Namine wouldn't stay put, not after having such an active boyfriend. Somehow, he was always right with this kind of stuff.

He sighed, remembering how Rinoa felt in his arms. He had never been able to forget how she was engulfed by the heartless. It was due to his incompetence. That was what he always reminded himself. Yet……

"HEY!"

Leon snapped out of his thoughts and looked at the woman standing in front of him. Aerith was staring at him with her auburn eyes. "You're thinking about Rinoa again?"

Leon sighed, '_How is it that she could just read my mind?' _before replying, "Hmph."

Aerith gave a small smile, "Being negative isn't good for you. Don't keep it all in. We're all here to help, aren't we? Stop acting so grumpy! See how much Cloud has changed! He used to be such a grouch. Why don't you let it go? Remember what I said before?"

Leon closed his eyes, '_How can I forget……' _and said, "Yeah."

Aerith reached up and gave him a flick on his forehead, "That's right. Blaming yourself for everything that has happened is futile. You can't change the past. Even if it haunts you, you have to be brave about it. What's important is the future." She continued to smile ever so gently, even Leon found it hard to frown.

Eventually, Leon gave a weak smile and nodded, before saying, "Alright, alright. I'll try. But now, please excuse me as I seriously cannot bear to endure any more of Namine's bad timing on the combinations. She's got some serious learning to do." And with that, he went towards her, and began to demonstrate the right way of executing the attack.

Aerith watched him as he taught Namine patiently regarding proper strength use and timing on attacks. She felt relieved that Squall (_She had no idea why he would want to be called Leon. Leon Leonhart???? That's just stupid.) _had actually tried to move on. She gave a small sigh and looked at him dreamily, "You know……I could never tell you how I feel. I can easily see how important Rinoa is to you. Yet……even if it was only once……if you can just……hold me……" And with that, she shook her head, shaking away these thoughts, before sighing and going to find Cid, whose computer was currently acting real strange.

Leon turned his head slightly and watched her leave, and frowned. He had an idea of how Aerith felt towards him, yet, he didn't dare to get too close to her. He knew he wasn't strong enough. And he had no intention of what happened to Rinoa years ago to happen to Aerith once more. No way he was going to permit that. He learnt his lesson.

Namine looked at him, pouted and asked, "Leon? What's wrong? Am I really that pathetic?"

Leon blinked, and laughed, "No, no, no, no. Don't get me wrong. I was thinking of something else. You are anything but pathetic. Your timing's really improving. I assure you, the attack you're inventing is unique……and powerful if used to its full potential. Have you thought about how you would name it?"

Namine giggled, "Wow! I can name it?"

Leon smiled gently, "Sure. You came up with it. You have the right."

Namine nodded, "Oh. Okay. Say……how about Arcana?"

Namine and Kairi had no idea that they were actually getting real close to Cloud and Leon. They were like their role model brothers. And Tifa and Aerith acted like their sisters. Funny how Kairi hanged around Cloud whilst Namine bugged Leon. Aerith had pointed that out numerous times to Tifa. She had thought that Namine would bug Cloud due to the similarity in hair colour. Same with Leon and Kairi.

Yet, Aerith was whom Kairi mostly went to for cure training. Aerith was more than happy to pass on the techniques in reviving and healing to Kairi. Namine liked hand-to-hand combat due to her training in Organization XIII before. The other nobodies never judged her according to her appearance. Reason? Simple. Larxene and Roxas aren't exactly fitting the big and strong picture, are they? Yet, when it comes down to one-on-one, the Roxas can easily defeat about any other Organization member, whereas Larxene's aim was just LETHAL. Whenever Xigbar faced her, he would grumble about how he shouldn't have taught Larxene how to play darts……

So when Namine started training, no one really looked down on her because of her appearance. Nobodies strongly address the fact that both sexes are equal. No discrimination. Why did they do that when people like Xigbar and Vexen are present? Again, answer is quite simple. Larxene almost pierced Xigbar's groin after his masochist comment during a training session, and whenever Vexen even made the slightest allusion to the weak abilities of the female sex, Larxene would make sure that torture is inevitable for the scientist.

Namine trained with Roxas. Xemnas felt that making her train with Larxene was going to be way too dangerous. They do NOT want two Savage Nymphs on the run within the Castle that Never Was. And that was why Namine preferred physical combat. She takes after Roxas.

Now, Namine was highly gleeful due to the fact that she had mastered a whole new type of fighting skills. Arcana sounded pretty good to her. She grinned as she thought about it. The more she used Arcana, the more control she got over it. She even tried to combine Arcana with the powers of Light and Darkness. She wasn't sure if it worked, since she felt no extra boost of power in her attacks, and her outfit had no change. But she decided that it was a start.

Kairi too was making superb progress. Her magic spells have now reached the point that they can be used within two seconds. Now that was highly useful. Imagine blasting everything around you into oblivion but using Thunder AND Magnet spells combined. Real smooth.

She made perfect sense with the way she combined them. Merlin was exhilarated. FINALLY, there was a brilliant wizard, or witch actually, amongst them. He was beginning to feel that the power of magic was being ignored as time passes. He knew for one that Sora only used Curaga most of the time, never bothering to use any of the others since slicing at the enemy saved so much time. (_A/N: That's what I do……XD)_

Kairi suddenly felt her eyebrows twitching. Namine too, felt it. They looked at each other and straight away, fear began to arise in their hearts (or heart, seeing that Namine doesn't have one). And when a portal began to form right in the middle of the room, Kairi was sure that bad news was on its way.

* * *

**_With Sora and Roxas……_**

After ten more battles, which resulted in ten more draws, Sora eventually got ticked off. He pouted and sat on the ground, refusing to get up any more. Really, you can't blame the poor fellow, fighting the same guy for 1250 times, with neither side winning can get quite frustrating.

Roxas sighed, as he too, dismissed his keyblades and sat down. It wasn't as if he was enjoying this. Xemnas suggested it. He didn't want to do it, but he knew that the Superior usually knew what was best. The reason why Larxene was feared was mainly because of her deadly accuracy with her kunais. Who sent Xigbar to teach Larxene? Xemnas. Done.

Hercules and Phil have gone off on some kind of training, and will therefore temporarily leave Sora and Roxas to themselves. Axel and Larxene had no noticeable change. Still arguing like mad. There were times when Roxas wanted to just shout out the obvious, yet, he was too worried about his personal safety and therefore decided against doing that.

However, what was this feeling he keep having? It felt as if someone was right beside them, watching their every move, yet, it couldn't be, for Roxas had made sure of that when he tried to detect energy levels in the arena. All he felt was Larxene, Axel and Sora. He couldn't tell if it was just his mistake. He had this feeling of unease, and sometimes, these feelings of his turns into trouble.

Sora suddenly stood up, his eyes lit up, and grinned, "Roxas, new training material coming up, although this time, it's for real." Roxas looked at him and suddenly, he heard it. Of course! The way they moved! He would never have thought that the sounds were mixed with the howling wind in the arena.

Sure enough, within seconds, two small figures appeared right in front of them. They were girls of about age 12 and 13. One had orange hair whilst the other had aqua coloured hair. They looked harmless, yet, Roxas knew otherwise. Just by their expressions, Roxas could see that they were definitely strong.

They had no expressions on their faces. No smiles, no anger, no whatever. They merely stood their, and glanced at each other. And finally, the orange haired girl spoke up, "Hey, Izzy, are they the ones?"

Aqua haired girl replied, "Yeah. Think they're worth it Diffy?"

Diffy scowled, "Obviously, the answer is no. Look at them, skinny, short, and just plain useless."

Izzy nodded, "So in other words, they are pathetic."

Roxas smirked and interrupted their meaningless conversation, "You know, whatever you just said about us, I sent it right back at you. Know why? Because you fit your own descriptions more than we do."

Izzy narrowed her eyes, "You know, it's because of thick-headed guys like you, that we, numero Noveno and Decimo of the Atacantes, shall definitely not lose to the likes of you. Remember that!" And with that, they summoned their keyblades. They were exactly alike apart from the fact that one was orange and one was aqua. The appearances were just like Kingdom Key. The key was not exaggerated in any field of combat.

Sora took in a deep breath and asked, "What is the Caida?"

Izzy gave a evil grin and said, "Simple. After Razor became the leader of us Chasers, he decided to form a team of ten strongest chasers as his elite assassination group. He named us the Atacantes. Now, feel the wrath of our keyblades!"

And in that same movement, they disappeared. Yet, this time, Sora and Roxas were given no time to react at all. Within the next second, Sora was flung directly into a wall, whereas Roxas was sliced from behind. Izzy's speed was unfathomable, she wasn't creating afterimages……it was as if she teleported. Yet, it couldn't be possible, Sora was sure it was due to high speed, yet……Sora gritted his teeth, if there were actually afterimages, it might have been easier, because Sora can at least try and figure out where the real figure is. But……

Roxas isn't having much success either. He can barely defend himself, let alone attack. The way they move was way too different from previous chasers. It was impossible to even see them. Roxas was fighting purely based on instinct.

He began to shout, "Hey, Axel! Larxene! You guys okay?"

Diffy raised an eyebrow, "You mean that disgusting guy with red hair and that bitch with antennae? Puhleaze……they were no match. They went down instantly. Pathetic."

Roxas' eyes widened. No way. No. 8 and No. 12 were defeated and they had no idea? How……

And suddenly, the look on Diffy's face changed, "I'm bored with you…I shall finish you this moment." And slowly, her smirk grew and suddenly, her keyblade began to glow. Roxas gasped, "What the?"

Diffy laughed, "Come on, Petalos, scatter." And all of a sudden, the keyblade dissolved into tiny little orange petal-like projections, and with one slight movement of her finger, the petals surrounded Roxas, and at her command, "Crush." The petals engulfed Roxas and the pain he experienced was something he would never be able to forget. For the petals turned out to be small blades and it was like being caught in a hurricane, not a single part of his body was left unscathed.

"ARGH!!!" Roxas was sent crashing into the ground with the petals, blood splashed everywhere, his keyblades were lying beside him, trapped within the petals, and he himself sported countless injuries and the pain zapped through his body, making him unable to even move.

Diffy's smirk merely widened, "Don't worry; the pain is far from over……"

And slowly, the petals began to congregate. It formed a gigantic blade and the blood on it made it look all the more spooky. Roxas knew what was going to happen, what's worse, he couldn't stop it.

Diffy's expression remained unchanged, "Cut."

And within an instant, the gigantic blade smashed down right on top of Roxas, all Roxas could do was prevent himself from screaming. Yet……

Sora was having no luck as well. The opponent was just too fast. Izzy sensed this and frowned, "I knew this wasn't going to be a challenge, but come on! I thought you were the Chosen one? Aren't you supposed to be worthy of me killing you?"

Sora gritted his teeth and executed Strike Raid. Izzy simply dodged the attacks. She was that fast. And as Sora placed all his strength in Final Judgment, Izzy yawned, "This is boring. Shoot to kill, Dios De La Lanza!" And the most amazing thing happened. The tip of Izzy's keyblade shot out at the speed of light and struck Sora right in the chest.

Sora's Final Judgment missed, and all Sora could do was grimace, with his eyes, widened in amazement. Izzy smirked and her keyblade returned back to its original length. It was incredible. A keyblade that could change its length at will.

Izzy looked at her fingernails, "Hmph, this is pointless. It's over. Ataque De La Muerte." The keyblade then stretched once more and struck Sora's chest once more, this time however, the force was much stronger and Sora was slammed back against the wall of the Coliseum. The keyblade lodged itself firmly in his right chest. And as Izzy's smirk grew into a devilish grin, he knew……

"Uno." The keyblade retracted and impaled him in the right chest in the blink of an eye.

"Dos." Two strikes.

"Cuatro" Four.

"Ocho." Eight.

"Dieciséis." Sixteen.

The strikes were increasing with speed every second, and soon, Sora couldn't even feel the pain, all he could see was the blinding light refracting of the keyblade and after what seemed like a lifetime, he heard Izzy said, "Ciento."

And this time, he felt it. All the strikes, before and after, he felt them. The keyblade did as its master ordered and stabbed another hundred holes on Sora's body before answering its master's final order, "Acábelo." And suddenly, it was brimming with darkness, and this time, the force emitted was far greater than ever, for Sora was sent right through the wall of the Olympus Coliseum, and went spinning for at least one hundred metres before coming to a stop.

Izzy slowly walked towards him, not saying a word. She knew what would happen. She knew. And as expected, Sora began to try and get up. Sora knew what would happen too. But he had to. He must get up. Yet……

At the same instant, blood exploded out of both boys injuries, thereby draining whatever strength they had left, and all Sora and Roxas could do, was close their eyes in despair as they watch their enemies laugh evilly whilst they fall down………defeated.

* * *

_**Hey! How was that? Strong aren't they? Oh, and can anyone guess why I named both girls Izzy and Diffy? It's kinda lame, but if you guess it, I might do a oneshot for you if I'm in the mood. LOL. So yeah. And I know there was a lack of Riku and Nevaeh, but they proved to be pretty irrelevant in this chapter. They shall have a comeback next chapter. I assure you. And of course, same old. Pray with me that my com does not crash again. X3**_

_**Oh, and by the way. Anonymous Reviewer: Reviewz! **_

_**I take it that you meant, may I use Nevaeh? Right? IF that's the case, you have to ask Talitha Koum. She's the creator of this wonderful OC. Okay? XD**_


	10. Comeback

**_A/N: Hehe, nope, Sora and Roxas ain't dead. How can I continue if they just die?? Loads of action coming up, not telling from who though. And of course, thanks to ALL my reviewers. Seriously, meant so much to me. And sorry for the slow update. I had a fever this week, had two tests, and juggling piano lessons and work, yeah, you get the pic……hopefully. Anyways, I tried. LOL. _**

_**And now, the long awaited chapter 10. Enjoy. XD**_

_**Disclaimer: Have never ever EVER owned KH in my life. Same goes for Nevaeh.

* * *

**_

Hold Me Tight, Don't Let Go

Chapter 10: Comeback

"Axel! What……what are you……oh my god!" Namine exclaimed as the all too familiar pyro crawled through the portal. Something was terribly wrong though. She didn't remember pyros being red with _blood_.

"No……no time……hurry, damn that bitch. Sora……Roxas……danger……blood…… everywhere……hurry……" Axel wheezed. It was the truth. It had taken all the strength he had left to summon a portal.

Namine's eyes widened, as did Kairi's. Heck, everyone in the room froze. Nobodies don't bleed………

Namine gasped, "Those……those……"

Axel gave a tired reply, "Yeah……look, do……do you even understand when I said the word hurry?"

Kairi muttered "Curaga" and in an instant, gentle green light revolved around Axel and his wounds began to close at a fast rate. Axel noticed this and grinned, thinking that this trip might not have been useless after all……

_**With Sora and Roxas……**_

Izzy and Diffy looked at the two boys in contempt, not even bothering to kill them. Somehow, admiring their work had become a real habit for them. It was beautiful. Blood was everywhere. Such a brilliant piece of art.

Failure never seemed a possibility. And they had trained so hard too. And for what? They still can't beat them. They were just……too strong. Impossible seemed an adequate word to use now. Sora had never felt more useless in his life. Roxas felt the same way too. And he was ashamed. Why? How would you feel if the your enemy can't even be bothered to end your life because you're not worth dirtying his/her keyblade? How would you feel?

Izzy yawned, "That wasn't much workout anyway. How about we just leave……wait…… what do ya know……more prey……"

And right on cue, out stepped Namine and Kairi, armed with their keyblades, ready to protect themselves if needed. Sora turned his head away ever so slightly, not wanting to face her. He let her down. He lost.

Kairi had to stop herself from screaming at the sight of Sora and Roxas. It was beyond horrible. 'Injured' can't even begin to describe what happened to them. Half the amount of blood in their body were gone. And the scars that would remain on their bodies were countless.

Namine couldn't even bear to witness the scene in front of her. Roxas……no. 13 of Organization XIII, one of the strongest nobodies ever……was defeated. She knew she should take some form of action…… but she couldn't. The truth was just too hard to acknowledge.

Yet, Kairi was the first one to do something. She braced herself and muttered under her breath, "Firaga……Flame Pistil!" And in an instant, flames began bursting out from the ground, surrounding the two Atacantes. They were surprised at first, but soon, they got annoyed, for the found out, that the flames weren't even acting on Kairi's will. It was as though they were moving by themselves, attempting to engulf them. Even though they knew it was futile, they were alarmed.

Kairi however, had taken the opportunity and rushed over to the two boys. She looked over to Namine and got a nod for a reply. She then directed her keyblade over their chests and whispered gently, "Grant us strength; Floral Fallal…………Pulses of Life!"

Immediately, white light began to descend on the boys, tiny petals began to fall from the sky and tenderly lay themselves onto the wounds, and slowly, the petals began to melt into the wounds, and the boys felt strength course through their veins in an instant. Forget that they were on the brink of death. This was miraculous. It was incredible. All their stress, muscle strains, wounds, scars, everything……all healed. It was amazing.

Namine on the other hand, knew she had to cover Kairi while she did all the healing. She got ready, "Full Throttle……Dark Knight Form!" And as beckoned, the darkness began to surround her, and just as she planned. To her, the darkness now acted as an armour, an extremely impenetrable one at that. Her attack power has strongly increased, but of course, her magic power was the main one that mattered, and now, it was time to test the arts of Arcana that she came up with………

Izzy was getting real frustrated. The flames were still popping out of nowhere, and it was just pointless dodging them, yet, she refused to let such a simple thing get to her and finally came to her senses that of course……you're supposed to use blizzard against fire…………damn.

Diffy had done it for her. She was seething. She had just been made fun of. No one makes fun of her. Hell no. Ah well, at least, someone's here to fight her. Yet, that someone was somehow right in front of her, keyblade raised, stance correct, keyblade brimming with power………shit……

Namine had already charged the attacks up; it was going to be more than enough to stall for time. "Aestus!" And with a leap, the keyblade responded with flames circling around, and **WHOOSH! **It was brought down directly upon Diffy's head. Unfortunately, she dodged that and judging by the look on her face, she was surprised.

Namine smirked, '_Well, you wanna be surprised? Fair enough. Here goes.' _"Levin!" And instantly, electricity coursed through the keyblade. She executed a quick run and got her just where she wanted, and just before the keyblade came in contact with Diffy, she remembered how Leon had told her to control the timing. She did, and that was why……Diffy was sent flying after getting hit by a thunderbolt right in the face.

Izzy was shocked; no way this little runt is this strong. Namine didn't change her position after successfully injuring Diffy, but only gave a 180 degree spin, whilst charging her keyblade up once more and in a flash, she was behind Izzy. And as cold air begin to assault her, Izzy knew she was in trouble.

And she was. Namine shouted, "Winterkill!" And **WHAM!** The hilt of the keyblade hit her squarely in the back, but that wasn't the painful part. Icicles were forced out of the keyblade into her back, which meant sending her right into the wall of the Coliseum, with ice fully stopping her movements, she was about to curse when Namine appeared right in front of her and muttered, "Fiers."

And again, she went flying………

* * *

_**With Riku and Nevaeh……**_

"Mickey, as requested, I brought Nevaeh with me." Riku said while almost dragging Nevaeh along with her. She apparently sees no point in meeting up with a gigantic mouse just to talk. Seems as an insult to her IQ.

And of course, the said mouse immediately jumped up from his seat, and squealed, "All right. Now let's begin. First Nevaeh, I know you don't see a point in talking to me, but soon, I guarantee, you'll hope you had the opportunity to meet me earlier. I need you to first inform me about the two different groups of wielders under Razor's control. I'm sure you know about that. And as a reward, I shall allow you to spar with me."

Riku's eyebrows rose. Sparring is a reward? Why? He had sparred with the mouse for loads of times, and yes, they drew for most of the time, but surely, Nevaeh wasn't going to take the offer. I mean, come on, anybody would want something better.

Nevaeh seemed doubtful at first, but straight after seeing the Reverse Keyblade being held in Mickey's hand, she nodded her head furiously, and gave a slight cough to readjust her posture, before beginning her speech, and of course, to say Riku was bewildered would be a severe understatement………

* * *

_**Back With Sora and Co. **_

Sora was staring at Kairi unbelievably. "Ka…kai…Kairi……how did……where…when…"

Kairi merely paced a finger on his lips and told him to hush and went over to check Roxas, making sure he was recovered as well. And suddenly, her face showed anger for the first time since her appearance, "WHERE WERE YOU TWO FOR TWO BLOODY WEEKS?" She bellowed.

This was not exactly pleasant, but it was expected. Sora sighed and scratched his head,

"Well, we uh……well the usual. We were training, trained too much. Exhausted ourselves, got wasted………yeah……that's pretty much it." He grinned, only to get clobbered by Kairi.

"How can you still grin? If we didn't get here on time, you would have died!" Kairi was screaming by now.

Roxas laughed, "Well, we did see Axel slip away……"

Kairi looked surprised, "Huh?"

Sora grinned once more, though it was beginning to resemble a smirk now, "What, you think we really couldn't take them on? Well, yeah, sort of. We may get a draw, at best, but then, we wanted to know the full extent of their attacks, and what we were hit with, I suspect, are the most powerful ones they can manage. It was painful, I'll give them that, but we would have lived easily."

Roxas continued for him, "We purposely let them hit us so that Axel might sneak off unnoticed. How they got wasted however, was totally beyond me……wait, maybe Superior ordered them to not help us……damn……I forgot about that. Oh well, anyway, we knew you two had become stronger. Don't ask us how, we just knew, it was as if the keyblades were crying out to us, about your improvements, and so we decided to take a gamble. Risky, yes, but necessary."

Sora went on, "They are the ninth and tenth of the Atacantes, namely the Attackers, to be simple, under Razor's control. And I think, it's high time Riku got some information from that Nevaeh girl. But first, Kairi, I'll show you what my training has done for me. I swear, you won't regret letting me go off with Roxas."

And with that, his eyes became focused, and that familiar flash of gold and silver surrounded his body, and within an instant, Trance Form was activated. Roxas merely activated Final Form, and one look between them said everything. Kairi couldn't help it. She grinned.

* * *

_**With Riku and Nevaeh……**_

"So, Nevaeh, the strongest groups of Chasers are split into two, namely the Atacantes and the Defensores?" Mickey inquired with great interest.

Nevaeh nodded, "It should be. That was the way it was before……before Master died. They were originally named the Espada. But I suppose Razor changed it and added more members."

"The Atacantes are actually the weaker group overall, yet they have the most gruesome fighting abilities. Superhuman strength and special-types of battle keyblades are just a few of the stuff they have. The Defensores are in charge of protecting Razor when needed. They are even stronger than the Atacantes, and even though their strengths are in defensive powers, their attack power is high……higher than us at the moment."

Mickey frowned, that was not good news, "Now, Nevaeh, I would like to know. Which group would you belong to if you were on of the Espada?"

Riku was surprised, that was not the question he was thinking of. The question he would've wanted to ask was who do you reckon is stronger? You or the Espada?

Nevaeh bit her lower lip, before saying, "I would probably be a low-rank Defensor………because……well……my……"

Mickey held up his hand and smiled a genuine smile that took Nevaeh completely off guard. He then summoned the Reverse keyblade once more and said, "I know. You lack the basics. You have all the good moves, and the speed you need, but, that's not enough. No one has ever taught you the correct way of holding a keyblade, the difference between a slash and a slice, and etc. Which is why you accepted my proposal?"

Nevaeh sighed, and looked to the ground, not wanting to answer the question. That has in fact, been bothering her. All the training she did in the Espada was to just train on her assassination move, such as Oblivion. She had always wanted to start from the beginning, but sadly, it wasn't to be so. Yet……

Riku looked amazed and then gave out a hearty laugh.

Nevaeh frowned and looked at him, "What's your problem?"

Riku shook his head and smirked, "To think that I nearly got beaten by a little kid……"

"MR. RIKU, THAT'S SO RUDE!" And with that, Dragon fang was already equipped and she charged straight for Riku, who easily blocked her attack with Way to the dawn. He finally understood what Mickey meant by 'lacking the basics'. It was obvious. The way she held the keyblade was just inviting the opponent to slash her stomach after parrying her obvious attack.

Riku sighed and smirked again, "Temper, temper."

Nevaeh growled and attacked again, which of course began futile in a second.

Riku then stopped and said, "Look, tell you what. I'll spar with you as well, I'll teach you all the basics there are to know, and believe me, the only reason Sora is stronger than me, is because, well not really the only reason, but more like the main reason really. That reason is because he trained at the basics far harder than anyone I knew."

Nevaeh's eyes widened, "Really? Mr. Sora beat you? You must be pretty useless then."

She somehow managed to ignore the vein popping out of Riku's forehead and continued to talk about how weak he is.

It took a certain amount of willpower to stop himself from mutilating the girl in front of him whilst him can, because he knew, once she got hold of the basics, whoo boy, watch out.

He looked at her once more, "I have a request before teaching you, and you better agree, or else I'll be forced to take unnecessary actions." His eyes were filled with laughter.

She knew it, he was teasing her. How dare he. Oh, he was _sooooooo_ going to pay once she got hold of whatever he taught her. Yes, she would _repay_ him nicely, so she purred, "What is it you want, Mr. Riku? I didn't know you were such an aggressive person……"

Riku blinked. Huh. Okay. Weird.

"Tell me your real name Nevaeh, your full name. I'll tell you mine in exchange. This is the first step in proving I'm your friend. Full-time from now on. Even though it means I'll have to sacrifice the chances I get at bullying you, I'm willing to do it." He grinned.

Nevaeh knew she heard wrong. No way Mr. Riku just said he could bully him. "HOW DARE YOU JUST SAY YOU COULD BULL…………what did you say?"

Riku looked at his nails, "I said I gave up the chances to bully you……"

"Before that."

"I'm working full-time now, and I don't get paid too, which is kinda sad, but I never heard of getting paid for a job like mine, so fair enough."

"Before that."

"Look, you deaf or something? I'm your _friend_ from now on. Okay? You got it?"

Nevaeh immediately turned her back towards him, no, she would not let him see the tears in her eyes. She would not be weak in front of him. Yet, she couldn't stop herself. Her whole body started shaking as she was overwhelmed by her emotions. It can't be. It was just too good to be true. No way Mr. Riku just said that…………

Her eyes widened as she felt a strong pair of arms gently secure themselves around her, pulling her into a hug. She was shocked. Totally. Yet, all she heard was Riku say, "Isn't it about time you had someone you could care about? I think so. Don't be afraid. Take your time to adjust yourself. Remember, you're not alone anymore. You have friends."

And the next thing she knew, she was beginning to sob, but she had to stop. Oh boy, she HAD to. If she didn't, it would turn out to be a crying session with one of the most irritating guys in the whole wide world……worlds actually. And stop she did, but not before roughly wiping off her tears and pushing Riku away. She adopted her usual naïve look once more as she smiled genuinely this time and whispered, "My name……is Heaven 'Nevaeh' Alexander……"

Riku gave a small smile in return, "Mine's Riku Amista. Nice to meet you." He finished with a mocking bow, yet they both knew, that they were one step closer than they were before, for good or bad, they were friends now. And there was no changing that fact.

* * *

_**Back with Sora and Co……**_

Namine was holding off pretty well, for one, her attacks caught the opponents off guard, yet, she had to be careful now, for she knew, that they were pissed. And seeing that her Arcana arts are really perfected yet, she decided to call it quits and leave it to the boys.

"Full throttle, deactivating Form." And in an instant, the darkness around her melted into nothingness, and bracing herself, she let off one final attack in order to delay them and allow the boys more time for recovery, and the only ideal attack in this kind of situation would be, "Shockstorm!"

And as if answering her call, electricity shot out of the keyblade in a frenzy, streaking across the arena and found its targets. The electricity shot right through them and secured themselves tightly around the targets, preventing them from moving and began to pour the voltage into their bodies, temporarily paralyzing them.

And this in Namine's opinion, was perfect. And as she turned her head, the mere sight of Sora and Roxas walking towards her, in their forms no less, made her feel that all the hard work Kairi and her had placed into their trainings, were worth it after all.

Roxas ran up to her and caught her in a bear hug. He missed her so much during the two weeks, it was real hard to resist the temptation of just zooming into the portal and give up about training. Yet, he knew what had to be done. But that doesn't mean that he could just forget about his feelings for Namine. Hell no.

Namine returned the hug too, and pulled him in for a passionate kiss. She missed having him by her side. He was her pillar, her support, her everything. She wouldn't even want to exist had it not been for him. She loved him, it was simple as that.

Sora grinned at the sight, and looked down at Kairi, who was finding it very comfortable latching onto Sora's arm. He then took a last longing look at Kairi before steeling himself, and walking off towards the direction of the Atacantes. Roxas noticed it and too, separated himself from Namine. He kissed her one last time, before following his other, determined to rid the two Atacantes for good.

Izzy and Diffy, meanwhile, are beyond pissed. Who the heck does the girl think she is? And what the heck is this stupid electricity bond thingy? All right, that's it. "Dios De la Lanza! Show them your true strength!"

Diffy too, had just about enough. She summoned Petalos and in an instant, got out of the bond. She glared at Izzy, as if saying it was all her fault. Yet, what was startling was the fact that the boys now stood in front of them, face to face, no longer injured……and what's more……their power………this is not good.

She immediately executed her movement technique, only to find Roxas waiting for her already. It was pointless, with Final Form, he could easily see through all her movements, and it was then, that he realized how they were moving that fast. He snorted, "So, by stamping your foot on the same spot twenty times in a mere two seconds has allowed you to move with such amazing speeds, well then, let's give it a try shall we?"

And sure enough, as expected, it worked. Roxas grinned as he totally caught on with her movements, this was going to be simple after all. Diffy's eyes widened at his ability to use Flash Steps as well. That wasn't possible, only wielders with great potential were able to accomplish it! How could this weakling………uh oh.

Roxas apparently could disagree more about the weakling part. "Weak huh? Well, let's see what this weak guy here can do." And with that, he summoned Oblivion and Oathkeeper, and began his combos. The speed he was fighting at now, was at least five times the speed he was using before. Now, he was attaining his true potential through Final Form, and he was liking it. Hell yeah.

He smirked, and suddenly, he disappeared. Diffy knew that he executed Flash steps and therefore, cannot be seen temporarily. Roxas appeared right on top of her and shouted, "Rough Divide!" And **WHAM!** The keyblade almost found its target but instead, it hit the ground and a small crater was formed. Diffy barely managed to dodge it, when she heard a voice behind her, _crap._

"Blasting Zone, ready." Roxas smashed Diffy towards a wall and using his keyblades he pinned her there, and summoned thousands of lasers around her, and with a simple snap of fingers, yep. All lasers launched themselves at her, not a single part of her body was left unscathed. Roxas then summoned two more keyblades, namely Fenrir and Fatal Crest.

He knew Diffy was unable to move and therefore, he charged up the two keyblades, and with another Flash step, he disappeared. This time however, he appeared above her and with one swift movement, he charged down towards her, keyblades brimming with energy, ready to split her in half.

Namine gasped in surprise, "Roxas! Don't hold back!"

Roxas didn't need to be told twice. He readied his stance, but something different happened, Diffy had gotten out of the hold by using Petalos and was now standing in the middle of the arena, Petalos forming a huge rapier, ready to strike. Roxas ignored it and charged head on, "Shockwave Pulsar!" And **BAM!** The keyblades collided with each other, yet, Roxas was not done, oh no, far from it. He released the huge energy compressed within the keyblade and **SLAM!** Petalos was forced out of Diffy's hands, now she really is powerless.

Roxas then began slashes at the speed of light, not stopping at all, he must have done at least sixty before he gave her an uppercut using both keyblades, and then, he jumped right up into the air and continued the combo. As the combo amounted to one hundred, he got ready. Fatal Crest and Fenrir were both glowing, and as if on cue, Roxas' eyes gleamed, "FATED CIRCLE!" And **WHOOSH! **A huge beam of light pulse was directed right where her hearts were, and as Diffy's eyes widened in disbelief, Roxas finished the attack by flinging both keyblades right at her chest, and the impact that brought her to the ground was unbelievable. Diffy had been defeated.

Roxas landed swiftly, not bothering to even look at her, for he knew that she was dead. I mean, if you had a huge hole in your body, you wouldn't live, now would you?

Namine was amazed, Roxas had grown even stronger. And yet, here he was, grinning at her, like a good little boy waiting for his reward for doing something incredible once again.

She giggled, well, she could comply……

* * *

_**With Sora……**_

Sora wasted no time in even letting Izzy attack, for he knew, once she got the advantage, there was going to be no room for him to breathe. He started off with a simple ground combo, and halfway through it, he executed a quick-run and got behind her, now was the part where he gave it his all………

Using the move he used on Roxas, Sora yelled, "Climhazzard!" and once more, shockwaves were sent directly at the girl, slashing her back perfectly, and at the same time, she was sent into the air. And as he launched himself into the air, he grinned, "it's over."

Izzy looked at him with a sort of crazed look, "What the heck? What the………oh hell no!!!" And for the first time, there was actually fear on her face.

And on Sora's face, there was a look he thought he would never pull off. He knew that if he used that move, it would be over. Good.

And with a burst of power, all the key chains on Sora flew out of his clothes, and began to levitate all around in a big circle around them. Sora was left with one keyblade in his hand and the keyblade reverted to its simplest form, Kingdom Key. Dark clouds began to gather in the sky, all the more showing the strength of Sora's attack, being able to even change the weather……

Now, let it begin.

Izzy knew she was in trouble. She just knew it. She tried to summon Dios De la Lanza, but saw that it wasn't answering, and her eyes widened, recognizing the force field being administered by this Keyblade Master. Damn, looks like they did underestimate them. Shit.

Sora's eyes sparkled and with a huge spurge of energy, charged straight at Izzy, **SLASH!** Once. He was determined to repay her strikes from just now.

He then grabbed the next keychain and attached, Star Seeker, and with great agility charged once more. He was now to her right, after the slash, he then attached Hidden Dragon, and soon the slashes were gaining velocity, after each slash, one more keychain is attached. Hero's Crest, Monochrome, Follow the Wind, Circle of Life, Rumbling Rose, Guardian Soul, Sleeping Lion, Oblivion and then Oathkeeper were attached.

The power of the slashes were getting stronger every second. It soon reached the point where the slashes couldn't even be seen, and a faint aura began to follow his movements as his power was increasing. Just as Sora charged through her once more and got into position about a metre above her, he equipped the final keychain, Ultima Weapon, and braced himself, as he dashed straight down keyblade in hand and with all his strength, he sent the keyblade right through her body, "FINAL HEAVEN!"

**KABOOM! **The force of the blow was so great that Izzy was sent crashing into the ground, forming a huge crater in the middle of the arena. Sora landed gently and caught his keyblade, his back towards her. Without needing to look back, he knew. Izzy was dead.

And she was. The damage done was incredible, every single bone in her body was broken, yet all the blood that could be seen was the thin line of blood down her chin. Kairi couldn't believe her eyes.

Sora looked at her, and smiled tenderly, and gave her a thumbs-up. His expression was so gentle, so naïve, so cute……

Kairi immediately rushed towards Sora and hugged him as tightly as she could. Sora closed his eyes and slowly ran his fingers through her beautiful hair. Kairi was crying. She hit her chest numerous times with her fists, yet Sora let it happen without resisting. He knew the reason behind this.

Finally, Kairi spoke up, "Sora……"

"Yeah."

"Don't ever do that again, you hear me! Don't ever leave me……"

"Got it." And with that, Sora kissed her once more, erasing all her worries and pain that she felt for the past two weeks, for right now, it didn't matter. Sora was with her. That was enough. That was enough………

And just as both couples quietly enjoyed the presence of each other, the multiple hearts that left the body of the Chasers and rose freely into the sky, was more than enough to signal the comeback of the protectors of the Realm of Light.

* * *

_**How was it?! I felt I did a pretty good job there. Hehe. I hope the Riku and Nevaeh part seemed alright. Oh, I just LOVE battle scenes and fluff. LOL. Anyways, review and tell me what you thought about it. Again, I'm sorry for the late update, and I'll try and shorten it as much as I can. Well, then, see ya! Oh, and don't be too confused if you don't get Sora's move. I love it. Points to anyone who can guess where it came from! XD**_


	11. Emotions

_**A/N: From the reviews I get, I take it that my battle scenes are pretty satisfactory. So the next question I pose to you guys, is whether you want more fluff, or more action. I still have some pretty nifty attacks I would like to show off. LOL. Too much anime and manga. XD**_

_**Anyways, since there are some wonderful anonymous reviewers out there, I've decided to reply to their reviews at the start of each chapter. So let's start with: **_

**_KHfanatic: Now, I'm really impressed that you actually deduced where the attack Sora used came from. LOL. Yes, I know it's a sort of a rip-off of Cloud's all-new Omnislash in Final Fantasy VII Advent Children. But meh, great effects, don't cha think:P_**

**_Ethan: I must say I'm really flattered. Honest. Also, your ideas are pretty intriguing, but I figured that letting Sora and Roxas use the same two keyblades can be boring. I myself like all the keyblades and would like to make good use of the fact that he is THE Keyblade Master. And I must say thanks once more for your support in both my KH fic and Naruto fic. XD _**

_**So yeah, from now on, I shall reply to all the anonymous reviewers here. BUT, I wish that you guys would have the courtesy to just log in and review, makes it so much easier with the REPLY function. If I get too many anonymous, I'll just turn on the anonymous filter. Meh, live with it. :P**_

**_And seeing how I just broke the double chapter mark, I decided to do something what most people usually do, the 100th reviewer gets a oneshot attempt from yours truly. I know there's still a long way to go, but yeah, let you know that before hand. And after that, the 150th, 200th and so on……assuming that I even get that far. LOL. _**

_**And before I forget……fics I seriously recommend reading are:**_

"_**Who needs Love?" By Otoru-onii**_

"_**That's Why" By Talitha Koum (Features her very own NEVAEH!!! XD)**_

"_**A Curse or a fate" By Angel Of Sweetness**_

"_**You Don't Miss It Till It's Gone" By numina-namine**_

_**And it's sequel "Soaring on Broken Wings"**_

"_**Hoping to happen again" by KHKairiNamineFanatic**_

**_I swear all these six fics RULE TO THE CORE!!!! _**

**_They are heaps better than mine, and they are what inspired me to create this fanfic in fact (All except Hoping to Happen again. It's a new fic.) Lol, not trying to suck up to anybody, but yeah, read them. I have yet to find one that updates often and rival the content in these five fics. And I can tell you I surf more than you can EVA imagine. _**

_**And now, I know you guys think I yap too much, so on with Chapter 11!!! XD**_

_**Hehe, what a long-as Author's note. :P**_

_**And I swear that I'm sorry for the extremely late update! HONEST!**_

**_Disclaimer: Look, sue me if you want. I OWN KH!!!! Not. And er……yeah, Nevaeh er……is busy at the moment, but er……yeah, she is just temporarily leaving my care……oh, who am I kidding, Talitha Koum owns her. I'm merely borrowing her for awhile. I'm sulking, just to let you know.

* * *

_**

Hold Me Tight, Don't Let Go

Chapter 11: Emotions

"Left!" **CLANG!**

"Come on! You can do better! Bottom right!" **BASH!**

"Up!" **CLASH!**

"DOWN damnit! Pay attention!" **WHAM! **

And again, Nevaeh went flying into the wall. Sora sighed and looked at Roxas, who merely shrugged. Kairi and Namine were training in Merlin's study, and the rest were training in the Great Maw. Well, Sora and Roxas weren't really training, they were giving tips sort of. Everything seemed peaceful, if you ignore the fact that a growling Nevaeh once again got out of the rubble, ready to kill.

"I HAD ENOUGH! I DON'T CARE ABOUT BASICS! RARGHH!!!" And once again, she charged at Riku, who merely swatted at her with Way to the Dawn as if she was a fly, and placed a single hand on her head, holding her at arms length whilst his keyblade caught hers in a deadlock.

He had a smug look on his face, "Man, Heaven, how many times do I have to tell you? NEVER let your enemy catch you in a position like this? Why? You want me to show you once more? Fine." And **SMASH!** She went flying……again.

Roxas shouted, "Hey! Riku! Take it easy! She's LEARNING. How can she learn anything if all you do is just smash her again and again? You gotta be patient!"

Riku shrugged, "Well, look, I was patient. I tried to be a goody-goody boy and teach her. For the first ten minutes, she actually listened, and then, two minutes later, she said that basics are pointless. Then, I tried to engage her in a mock combat and show her. What did she do? Try to kill me, that's what she was trying. And just because I retaliated, she began cursing me for half an hour, charging at me like crazy all the time. Now how do you expect me to react?"

Sora sighed, "Well, you could always let her hack you……"

Riku raised an eyebrow, "Have you seen the power in her blade. I'll get ripped in half if I didn't block! Look, here she comes again……"

And as expected, Nevaeh rushed again……unskillfully, right in front of Riku. Sora began analyzing her posture: yes, her keyblade was finally in the right position after five hundred attacks, yes, her body is hung low, gaining momentum as she charges, and yes, energy is covering her whole body to prevent excessive damage. Good! She did learn after all……but then………er………

Riku merely aimed a blow downwards right onto her head, blasted her into the ground and kicked her, and of course, she "flew" away again……

"Don't you even pay attention? Why the heck is your head wide open like that?!"

Nevaeh jumped out of the rubble, "Didn't you say to keep your body as low as possible?! I merely did what you told me Mr. Riku! Unless you tried to cheat me! LIAR!"

It was all Roxas could do to stop his laughter. True, you should hang your body low……but no one hangs it so low that the body almost touches the ground. Sure, your speed increases, but when your opponent sees your juicy ripe head in front of him/her, they won't hesitate to slash you open. That was……the basic of the basics. And seeing how an elite warrior like Nevaeh didn't know that……it was hilarious.

And as expected, Riku's answer was, "Did I tell you to keep your body so low so that you can sniff at the ground??!!"

"You have to SPECIFY the distance then! MR. RIKU!" And of course, she charged again.

What Sora found most amusing was the fact that even though the two argued like _crazy_, and I mean crazy, the two clearly enjoyed each other's company. For the past week or so, Sora and Roxas actually got to rest in peace……not as in dead but argh, you get the point. Kairi and Namine were cheered up significantly due to the fact that they can now show off their moves to their boyfriends, and indeed, the attacks they came up with……wow.

Roxas especially like the elemental manipulation required for Namine's Arcana style. Hell, Namine could literally fight against Roxas and achieve a draw. Now that was impressive. Of course, that was because Roxas was fighting at half his level, but……Namine doesn't need to know that, right?

Sora found Kairi's magic attacks to be a real pain when used against him. Honestly, how the hell do you get a TSUNAMI to be sent towards you??? According to Kairi, concentrate on fire _and_ ice and allow the light energy to strengthen the attack and whoosh! A Tsunami appears! Easy eh? YEAH RIGHT. No way Sora could ever do that. Heck, no way anybody else in the worlds could do that, not even Merlin could get that to happen.

Really, the days in Radiant Garden this week were very enjoyable, to say the least. There were so much love and laughter in the air, that no one would have thought that the worlds are on the brink of destruction due to Chasers. Well, that may be a little too harsh but yeah.

Leon, Cloud, Tifa and Aerith were having the time of their lives. Namine is now able to do kickass moves due to Tifa's training and Kairi can now cure minor injuries without using the keyblade. Cloud and Leon were like the perfect older brothers, and it was as though they were just one big family. Yuffie and Cid however, did not have a good time compared to the other four……

Well, look at it this way, Cid comes in, tired like crazy after fixing machines all over the place, and straight away, he got in the way of Kairi's Flame Whirl. Yup, his ass got cooked.

Then, after finally putting out the fire, he took the second step, icicles came out, so yeah, his ass got frozen.

After getting that to defrost, he took the third step, electricity zapped his ass.

After shaking off the voltage, he took the fourth step, a huge blackish layer surrounded him and instantly, he felt his weight increase by tenfold, making it extremely difficult to move. Curse the gravity spell.

He yelled at Kairi to remove it and took the fifth step, **WHEE!** A clock appeared in front of him, and stopped……stop magic. #&#&!

Sixth step proved worse as it was magnega……getting absorbed into the middle of the room along with loads of other furniture didn't prove to be very nice……seeing how the furniture ended up smashing into him……

And as he struggled to get down……guess what, reflectga. Yay. **WHAM!** He was sent zooming out of the room, back to where he started.

So, if he wants to enter a room, he would have to go through all the above steps and pray like crazy that the last one wouldn't happen, even though it always did. It usually took him ten tries or more to get in. And he couldn't do anything about it. Kairi wasn't doing it on purpose. It's just that the power was too hard for her to control……right?

And even if it WAS on purpose……it's not like he can do anything about it, seeing how Aerith had her staff ready in her hand, with sweet, yet murderous eyes, and Cloud unsheathing his big as blade if he did so much as step towards Kairi with anything that resembles a weapon. Damn. If only he concentrated more on fighting skills than mechanics……sigh……gone were the old days where peace actually existed………#&$#&!

With Yuffie, it was more or less the same deal. Well, depends on your opinion really. Which is more lethal, physical attacks, or magic attacks? And of course, there was the problem of which attacks are more lethal, _intentional_ ones, or unintentional ones?

Yuffie always liked a good challenge, yes, but not this kind. Just because she had opened her big fat mouth and bragged about how she could waste Namine, she got herself into a somewhat similar situation as Cid. Namine would walk up to her, sweetly and ask her for a match. She being her insane self, was never one to disagree no matter how strong the opponent was……

And she got wasted. Slash, slice, bam. It was over. Each and every time. And if Namine was in a bad mood or something, and she just so happened to use her very own nickname for her, "weak blondie", oh boy. Arcana wasn't proving that interesting at all.

But she was the Great Ninja Yuffie right?! So of course, she couldn't give up that easily! No way! So she challenged Namine again and again, and because she lost every time, she soon began to wonder whether she should use ninja techniques such as assassination.

Er hehe……but er……well, one night she tried it. But then, being her careless self, she 'accidentally' tripped over her own foot and created a hell of a chaos right in front of Namine's room. Namine happened to open the door at the exact same moment and **SMASH!** She got hit by the damn door. &#&! Oops, No swearing! Don't wanna be like Cid now.

Anyways, Namine apparently did not notice her, and proceeded to get a glass of water in the kitchen. Fufufu, now it was time for the actual assassination! Haha! I shall knock her unconscious and tie her up and when she wakes up, she'll force her to admit defeat! That's right! However, things didn't go according to plan. Leon and Tifa were apparently out there waiting for Namine and of course, they saw her. And well, deciding that gunblades and fists were not a good combination on her body, she used her brilliant ninja skills and escaped! Ah ha!

But er……it wasn't good enough, for Namine was right there already, charging up her darkness attack and **BLAST! **

Let's just……not go there. So in conclusion, Yuffie and Cid hated this week with a passion. Oh yeah. What's worse, they couldn't go beat up the boyfriends of their enemies because……well, the boyfriends are even stronger than them. So er……you get the picture.

* * *

_**Three hours later……**_

"This is stupid." Roxas mused.

"I totally agree." Sora nodded.

What else can they say after looking at the scene in front of them? Way to the Dawn and Dragon Fang were both tossed aside, and right in the middle of the clearing, stood our famous warriors, Riku and Nevaeh.

Just then, two girls could be seen walking towards them, "Everyone! Dinner Time! Hurry up!" Kairi shouted as she walked into the area. She always loved the way that the sound echoes off the walls and bounce back. Fun.

Namine ran to Roxas and gave him a bear hug, "Aw, I missed you sooooo much. You should have seen me when I used _insert your own attack_ on Yuffie! God, it was hilarious!"

Roxas merely listened half-heartedly as his little angel yapped on. He gently brushed his fingers through her soft silky hair, which glistened in the sunlight like thin strands of diamonds. She looked so beautiful, so sweet…… He grabbed her hands and began to inspect them. Namine winced and began to pull away, blushing all the time.

Roxas insisted and as he expected, saw the numerous blisters on her small hands, she must've been training very hard. He sighed, "Namine. You promised." And then proceeded to plant tiny kisses on every single one of her bruises, over and over, hoping to shield her from these irritating pains. Namine blushed again and rested in his arms enjoying the hug he gave her and whispered, "I know……but every time I see you running off to battle, I'm afraid……and the only way to help you is if I get stronger……"

Roxas cut her off by giving her a passionate kiss, his hands caressing her cheeks, and adjusted his angle to deepen the kiss. And as he pulled away, he stared at her gorgeous lips, and couldn't resist the temptation. He kissed her again. Namine didn't mind. She loved Roxas' kisses, every time it was as though she were eating a different type of ice-cream.

As soon as that duck, Mr. Scrooge or something, discovered the flavour of sea-salt ice-cream, he began adding fruits and other flavours to it. Chocolate sea-salt icecream, vanilla sea-salt icecream, Strawberry sea-salt icecream were just a few of the more famous ones. And since, well, Roxas loved icecreams………hehehehe……

Kairi, on the other hand, walked towards Sora and looking at Sora's annoyed face, she wondered what happened. All she needed to do was raise an eyebrow, and Sora immediately replied by pointing a finger towards the two wielders in the middle of the area. Kairi was shocked, were they making out? And as she followed his finger, and looked towards that direction, she burst out laughing.

Nevaeh was pulling Riku's cheeks, while Riku was pulling hers. It was like a fight between two seven-year-olds. Both using all their strength refusing to give up, what's more amusing is the fact that they continued to yell insults at one another in very peculiar voices……

"Shay itsh! Shay zat zis zupid training ish over! Shay itsh!"

"Hell no. You neva even got hold of hav (half) of the basicz……"

"I don't carez! Shay itsh!!!"

"No!"

"Shay itsh!"

"No!" And so on. This was way too funny. Kairi almost rolled on the floor laughing at this sight. Riku, losing to a pouting fourteen-year old. God. She wonders if she should record all these……

"Yawn……" She turned around, and there was Sora, with his mouth opened so wide, sucking in enough oxygen to revive two suffocating mice. She giggled and walked towards him, grinning playfully, "What's the matter? Bored?"

Sora rubbed his eyes, "Hn." Apparently, he's lazy as well.

Kairi motioned for him to sit down and sat beside him, then slowly, she guided his head onto her laps and she began to caress his whole face. Think of it as a sort of massage. Sora sighed in bliss under her touch. God, she knew him so well. It's as if they don't even need words to communicate, one simple action and the other knew straight away what he/she was thinking.

Kairi gently rubbed his temples, and gave him a short massage. She loved how his skin felt. It was sooo smooth. And his hair……she slowly began to run her fingers through his hair, and Sora grinned in pleasure. That always felt good, and she knew that. She giggled again, awww……he looks so cute. Hehe.

Sora decided that it wasn't fair that she was the one doing all the work and therefore, his hands reached up and stroked her face, his touch as light as a feather, causing her to blush a shade of crimson. Wow, she looked more like an angel now, ha, a red-head angel………hahahaha……

And with no specific reason, both of them started laughing, it felt so right! They were meant for each other and they knew it. Every moment together shall become a precious memory.

And this time, both nobody and somebody looked at each other at the same time, and their eyes all shone with glee and happiness, not only for themselves, but for each other as well, because all of them finally found love. Namine and Roxas came to realize that you don't have to _feel_ whether you're in love or not. No, there was absolutely no need for that.

If you were truly in love, you would know it. You don't need to have a heart to feel it's rapid beats. It's all in your soul. Roxas is the nobody of Sora, Namine is the nobody of Kairi, and with such pure souls, emotions can occur. They actually proved that if one believes something, it can actually happen. The heart is merely something that transfers the emotions from our souls to our outer layers.

Why can heartless feel rage and emotion? Rage is an emotion. Jealousy is an emotion. So what? The heart doesn't control what you feel! _YOU_ control what you feel. If your soul is lost to the darkness, you would think along the lines of revenge and hate, and therefore, feel jealousy and rage.

Nobodies can't feel? Wrong. If they can't feel, they wouldn't feel greed and wouldn't want to have a heart. Organization XIII consists mainly of scientists, and as Xehanort is a scientist, he refuses to believe something as impractical as souls. So he chose to believe in hearts. Yes, hearts are essential. They are the basics of living beings, however, souls are what control our emotions, minds are what control our actions, hearts act as the organ that connects the two to life, and therefore, a somebody is created.

Heartless have corrupted hearts, and therefore, they only care about hate and rage. Nobodies have no hearts, so the link between actions and emotions are severed. That's the reason why they think they can't feel. It's because their emotions are hidden so deep within their soul that they have no means of extracting it. No, it's not that they can only remember emotions; it's that they TELL their minds to acknowledge that fact, instead of actually daring to explore their souls, and reclaiming their lost emotions.

If they can't feel, if nobodies can't feel……why do they so clearly experience the pain, the regret, the agony that flows through them when they fade? Simple, because they have no hearts, when they reach their limits, their physical body breaks down, causing the soul and mind to once again be linked for a short moment, and at that particular moment, emotions flow through their minds, allowing them to feel the full impact of their guilt, their sadness etc.

Roxas and Namine can feel. It's in their soul. Their mind tells them that they can. So, they can feel. It's as simple as that. If you tell yourself you can't, you can't, if you tell yourself you can, then you can. Simple. Yet, people refuse to believe.

Roxas and Namine are bonded, just like Sora and Kairi, by love. Only the most purest of love could awaken their true potential, which is why Roxas and Namine are able to feel all sorts of emotions now. It wasn't because they had hearts. It was because they love each other, they were willing to make the sacrifices. And what they found, was a whole new world.

Roxas looked at Riku and Nevaeh, still engaged in the "cheek-stretching" contest, Sora and Kairi, blissfully admiring each other's presence, and finally stared at Namine, his one and only love. She blushed ever so slightly under his longing gaze, and gave a small smile, and as if on cue, both tongues met again, and engaged once more in a passionate kiss.

Who ever knew, that nobodies can feel?

* * *

_**Haha! How was that? I just HAD to add in some fluff and humour after the action scenes. Lol, you might think I'm just going to continue the battle scenes and stuff, but no. If I pack it up too much, it'll be so boring you guys won't give a crap. I'm serious. **_

_**And now of course, the bingo question, more fluff? Or more action? You decide. XD And I swear that I'm really sorry for the late update! To apologize, I'm shall start on the next chap rite away! Maybe……… x3**_


	12. Chaos

_**A/N: Lol, I'm back. Finally. Sorry again for the late update. I think I'm having a writer's block right now. Ideas are getting worse. Seriously. It's a wonder how I got to chapter 12. So………ANYWAYS, thx to all those that reviewed. Really. **_

_**But one thing. If you have the story on alert, you might as well review right? Sigh... am I jinxed or sth?**_

_**Disclaimer: Haha, go on, laugh at me. I don't own KH. XD (I'm weird.)

* * *

**_

Hold Me Tight, Don't Let Go

Chapter 12: Chaos

"Sora, we've got company……"

"AGAIN?"

"Yep."

And as the familiar blobs of dark creatures rise from the ground, our famous Keyblade Master, who was very irritated, took one huge swipe and **WHISH!** They were exterminated. Simple enough huh? No.

Five seconds later, twice more came. **SLASH!** Gone.

Ten seconds later, thrice more came. **SLASH! **Gone.

And as we reach a minute, yeah, a huge army of heartless attacked. Wonderful.

Sora was getting pissed. This was not how he wanted to end his beautiful vacation. They left Radiant Garden, and went back to Destiny Islands, leaving Nevaeh in Disney Castle, where she can continue to train her basics. (Riku just gave up teaching her.) And as soon as they took so much a step on the island, heartless would just pop out of nowhere and begin attacking.

Only Kairi and Riku were with him, but they were able to cope. Roxas and Namine went back to the World that Never Was to see if they could find out more information from their superior.

Sora had no idea that even _shadows_ could be sooooo annoying. But that wasn't the main thing. More shadows appearing meant that more heartless were being created, and therefore that meant that…………more people were being killed by Chasers……

* * *

_**In Midgar city……**_

_Hundreds of heartless gathered before the city gates, awaiting their orders. And standing right before them, were two mysterious figures wearing familiar white cloaks. _

"_Oooh yeah. Let the massacre begin." And with a single point……hell broke loose.

* * *

_

_**Back in Radiant Garden……**_

"What the……" Leon blinked. What was that? What was that strange emotion that he felt? That unease……could it be?

And deciding to trust his intuition, he yelled at Cid, "Check Balamb Garden, Luca, Midgar for any signs of danger! Quick!"

Cid raised an eyebrow, confused as to why Leon was so agitated. But nonetheless, he did a thorough search on Balamb first, found nothing, then Luca, still nothing……then Midgar.

"Uh oh. That……does NOT look good." Cid's jaw was left hanging.

Leon cursed and grabbed his gunblade before rushing to the gummi hangar. Aerith just happened to enter the room, and gasped at Leon's rough exit, before looking at Cid with a questioning glare.

Cid could say nothing other than point at the screen.

Aerith took one glance at it and realized what that meant. Those Chasers! How could they?! Midgar had no idea what heartless were! Oh no! "SQUALL!" And with that she rushed out too.

Cid gritted his teeth, 'So, this is what it comes down to, better send a message to the brats.' And with that he typed, _Sora, hometown in danger. Leon just rushed out. If you could, get here as soon as possible. Tifa and Cloud would be waiting for you. Take Sierra no.2. Co-ordinates are set. Gotta go. Cid._

The mouse hovered over the word **Send**, and with a sigh, he clicked it. 'Sorry kid, got another mess coming up for ya.' And he too dashed out, grabbing his spear and ran towards the hangar.

The program was supposed to detect the presence of heartless. One cross means fifteen heartless. The fact that the huge computer screen went red in two seconds was more than enough to tell the Radiant Garden Restoration Committee members, that indeed, their hometown was in danger.

* * *

_**With Sora and co……**_

"Ok. That should be the last of them. Now, how late do you think we are for school?"

"Like, three hours?"

"WHAT?!!!"

"Kairi, relax, headmaster's not gonna blame us or anything. We DID get rid of the heartless."

"Sora, as much as I love you, I hate to remind you that he has no idea what a heartless is."

"Oh……say, where's Riku?"

"DO NOT CHANGE THE SUBJECT!"

"Woah, okay, okay, calm down. It's just 3 hours of school. Come on, we know all that stuff. Magic's WAY harder than calculus."

"That doesn't mean we can skip school! School is _important_."

Sora sighed, if this was going to become a daily routine, he seriously hoped that his vacation lasted longer. Yet, really, where was Riku?

"Here." A certain someone appeared right beside him.

"WOAH! Where did you come from?"

"Computer Room. Sora, we've got trouble."

Sora blinked. And his head drooped. _Not again……

* * *

_

_**With Roxas and co……**_

"Superior, is there any way to destroy more than one heart at a go?" Namine asked.

Xehanort frowned and thought for awhile, before slowly replying, "Maybe, it could be possible. Just like Roxas did at the Coliseum. His attack was so powerful that it got two hearts in a row. However, the hearts that he destroyed were pretty weak, so we can't really guarantee anything."

Namine nodded and went back to analyzing the battle reports collected by Zexion and Vexen, trying to find more weaknesses. Just then, Vexen rushed in, gasping for breath, "Superior, we've got a breakthrough."

Xehanort immediately stood up and followed him to the lab. Namine, curious as to what could have made the scientist so excited, followed as well.

Once in the lab, Zexion gave a nod and showed the information to him. Xehanort's eyes blinked, then he frowned, and soon, his eyes widened in amazement and finally, it was anger. In fact, he felt it was downright outrageous.

"Are you trying to tell me……that the Chasers……can _revive a heartless_?!"

"Yes, Superior. And that is what they did. As we've discussed before, the formation of a heartless should be relatively quick. Yet, for those who have strong hearts, they undergo transformation phase 2, that is, the creation of a nobody. Now, the chasers, after collecting the hearts, take special notice in case any of these cases happening. And usually, only one out of a thousand people actually undergo this phase."

Xehanort pondered for a moment, before beginning to understand what he is insinuating.

Zexion's expression turned grim as he continued, "The chasers then throw a test-tube of liquid nitrogen onto the deformed heartless, and freezes it, causing all vibrations of molecules to come to a halt, That way, they can be preserved. And after that, the frozen heartless are taken back to their laboratory and with their advanced technology, they calculate the efficiency of the heartless."

Namine raised an eyebrow, "Efficiency?"

Vexen answered her question, "The ability to withstand strain caused by multiple hearts."

"Oh."

"As expected, those not up to standard, are…_shattered_. And those that pass the test……get hearts implanted back into them."

Xehanort's fists were clenched tight. So that's why there was no significant increase in nobodies whilst the realm of light was being attacked.

Namine gasped, "But……but that's terrible! How could……"

Vexen agreed, "If I were them, I would probably do this as well." He saw the look on Namine's face and continued, "Look, Namine, think about it, I've got frozen heartless. They are practically useless. If I defrost them, yes, I might get a strong heartless, yet I get a strong nobody as well. So, given the situation, imagine yourself as a Chaser, think about it………"

Namine hesitated, before sighing, "Yes, but shattering……"

"I know. Yet, compared to those that got the heart implanted back in them……really, I would say I prefer being shattered."

Xehanort looked at Zexion and asked simply, "How many?"

Zexion turned his head away, "……three."

Xehanort cursed and scanned the reports more carefully, eyes widening after turning over each page, and finally, he slammed the papers down, "Those bastards!"

Namine looked bewildered, what could have caused the Superior to become so agitated?

Zexion answered her question, "Namine, the strain placed on that being……here's an analogy. First, imagine yourself being forced into the shape of a cube, next imagine yourself, from that position, being stretched to at least ten times your width. Sound nice?"

Namine shuddered, and then it suddenly hit her, "Of course! The strain that the being had to endure while having his heart pulled out, add that to the strain he had to feel after hearts were practically stuffed into him……a normal person might have exploded. Literally."

"Exactly. And it takes at least two months to get used to the enormous pressure on your body. Just picture a guy getting compressed from all directions by 500 tonnes of Iron, and having to stay in that position for two months……I'm glad we were able to learn of this before we got a heart. If not……"

Xehanort took in a deep breath, "Zexion, continue researching on this topic, and Vexen, I need you to monitor the Enemy invasion stats carefully. Those chasers! Such a despicable plan! Vexen! Check immediately for any signs of heartless in worlds with high population. Get on with it! And Namine, alert Roxas and the others. I need them to be on standby in case anything comes up."

Zexion looked confused, but it wasn't long before he understood what was happening, "Oh my……they are trying to outnumber us!"

Xehanort ran his hand through his hair, trying to think of a plan that could counter this one. Damn it, at this rate, the number of heartless that they gain, compared to what Organization XIII would be gaining, it would take a miracle to win this war. Argh.

He himself went back to his office and after a long thought, he gathered all the organization members to the conference room.

"Roxas, Namine, I think it best that you two go over to Disney Castle and help Riku and that girl train. I have a feeling that something big is going to happen. Go, now."

Though bewildered, Roxas nodded, "Yes superior." And summoning a portal, the two left.

Xehanort took a deep breath and continued, "We must be prepared for war at all times, and therefore, I'm now going to dispatch all of you to worlds which I feel are in grave danger. Given the situation, I would say any world with a population larger than fifty thousand……"

Marluxia stood up, "Superior, I'll handle Zanarkand. Lexaeus can come with me."

Xehanort gave a nod of approval, and then pointed at Axel, "You know where to go."

Axel snorted, "Sure, Bikanel. _Wonderful_. Can I have a partner as well?"

"Take your pick."

Axel summoned a portal and just as he was about to enter, he said, "Come on Sparky, get your lazy ass moving……not that you have a very nice one……" And quickly, he stepped into it, narrowly avoiding twenty kunais.

Everyone turned just in time to see a very pissed Larxene exit via another portal. Xehanort smirked, _'Sparky huh? I should compliment No. 8 for taming our savage nymph.' _

Xaldin and Xigbar stood up, "Superior, leave Luca to us."

Xehanort nodded, "Next, Saix, Luxord, Kilika's yours. Go."

And with several answers of "Yes superior" they all disappeared.

"Now, Demyx, I entrust Midgar to you."

Demyx gulped, "B-but superior! Midgar is the BIGGEST city of them all! I need at least two partners!"

"No, you go alone."

"WHAT?!"

"Demyx, I want you to realize your true potential. You like being called a weakling? Yes, I know about that. And I would rather not announce, in front of Zexion and Vexen, what your _other_ nicknames are. Now GO." And with that, his eyes narrowed.

Demyx's shoulders drooped and with a huge sigh, he grabbed his sitar and exited the castle.

"Superior, can we ask what……"

"Screeching Banshee." Xehanort answered without looking up.

Vexen frowned, "Aren't banshees females?"

"That's the whole point."

Zexion and Vexen looked at each other, and burst out laughing.

* * *

_**Back with Sora and Co……**_

"Oh no! Sora! We've got to go help them!" Kairi exclaimed after reading the e-mail.

"I'm on it." And with that, he took out his phone and pressed 3 digits. 0-0-7. And in an instant, Highwind sped into view.

"Riku, Kairi and I shall go straight to Radiant Garden to meet up with Tifa and Cloud. Meanwhile, can you please go over to Disney Castle and help your lover train? We're gonna need her. Well, you know how to find us. Let's go!" And before Riku could even react, Sora had dragged a giggling Kairi down the tunnel into the bridge of Highwind. And in two seconds, we have liftoff.

Riku merely stood there, dumbfounded, what was it that didn't feel right about Sora's words?

"Hmmm……first, he said he's going over to find Tifa and Cloud. Check. Next he told me to go to Disney Castle. Check. And then he……he……THAT RASCAL!!! How DARE he insinuate that……that Heaven……argh!!!"

Ahh, but the rascal's already gone. Riku snarled, and called for Excalibur, and sped off minutes later. When he sees Sora next time……grrr………

* * *

_**With Demyx……**_

"Why is it always me?! Why do I get bullied so easily?! No fair! Argh!" Demyx grumbled as he walked through the corridors of darkness.

"Midgar for Christ sake! That city is like TWO freaking Lucas! And he expects ME! Only me! God. Grrrr……if only I could rebel………"

He continued to mumble to himself as he walked……

"Sigh……I'm just too weak huh? Wait, my full potential? You've GOT to be kidding me! I actually HAVE potential? WOW! I RULE!"

It was a good thing nobody actually saw what Demyx did next………

"Okay, fine. Since I've got potential, I should be able to complete this stupid mission. I hope nothing happens at Midgar. Hm……I heard there was a pretty good pianist in Midgar, wonder if she'll play a piece with me?"

And there it was, the door to Midgar.

"Alright! About time too! Look out Midgar, here comes the most fabulous sitar player in the entire universe! Meet the most fabulicious (Fabul-delici-ous) guy that ever existed! Enter, DEMYX!"

And as soon as he took his first step out of the portal, black and red were the only two colours present in the scene. Black heartless. Red blood.

"……………………………WTF???!!!"

Apparently, some air soldiers decided to answer his ever so _–cough-_ polite _–cough-_ question, and in an instant, he was surrounded.

Demyx took one look at the dead bodies everywhere, and shuddered, "Erm, come on, er……you guys worked for me once, remember?"

The air soldiers ignored him and continued to attack him. It was lucky that Demyx had enough water clones to deflect the attacks.

He sighed, "No room for negotiation?"

No answer, more punches. Damn.

"Well, like I said last time, if you can't fight, you run!"

And just as he was about to escape, he saw a Large Body grabbing a little girl by the neck, strangling the life out of her. The girl was struggling with all her might, trying to get the heartless' hand off her neck. Her parents were helpless to resist as they too, were being bombarded by heartless from all directions. The father was using some sort of machinery on his arm, shooting off bullets at the heartless, desperate to get them away and save his little girl. The mother was struggling to get away from a particular Soldier……

At that moment, something in him snapped……

_**Flashback……**_

"_Leave him alone! Please!" A woman begged._

"_MOM! LET HER GO YOU BASTARD!" A blonde teenager charged at the man. _

"_Hmph, useless weakling!" And with that, he was kicked back onto the ground. _

"_Ha, see, useless, like you always were. Now, you're going to kneel down to me and lick my shoes like the dog you are!" _

"_LIKE HELL I AM!" And once again, he dashed over to the man, only to find a huge guy in his way. He punched the guy rapidly, yet, the huge man didn't even feel anything. He merely grabbed the blonde boy by his neck and suspended him in the air. _

"_So, you refuse huh? Kill them, one by one, in front of him." _

"_NO! Don't! I……I'll do anything! Let them go! This doesn't concern them!" _

_The man smiled evilly, "Too late kid." _

_And he could do nothing as he watched his mother, tears in her eyes, whispering her last words, "It's not your fault son……" as she got sliced in half by the assassin. _

"_That'll teach you to mess with me kid. You've got guts standing up to me for some random girl that owes me money. Now, feel the pain! Bring her sister here!" _

"_Bro…brother……save…me……." _

"_No……Alexia! No!"_

_And her sister was executed. Right in front of him, blood from both his mother and sister splashed all over his face. His eyes widened, and suddenly, he lost it. _

"_NOO!!! YOU! ALL BECAUSE OF YOU! ARGH!" And with that, an unknown power surged within him and he as darkness began to show, new strength appeared within him and he got out of the hold by kicking the big guy in the guts, sending him flying. The next second, he grabbed the dagger off the ground and in one swift move, he appeared in front of the gangster boss. _

"_You shall pay for what you did! Be honored! For today is the day where you DIE WITH ME! ARGH!" And with one quick slash, it was all over. The guy was dead. He then went over to his mother and sister's corpses, and knelt down before them, crying out, "GODDAMNIT!" The next thing he did, was to plunge the dagger into his chest, right through his heart………_

_There was no way……he would forgive himself……he wanted to change everything, he wanted to have power to change the past………and just as he died, the darkness engulfed him and the last thing he saw was a purple cracked heart floating into the air………" _

_**End Flashback……**_

Demyx roared in anger as a sudden surge of power overtook him. For once, he detested himself for wanting to escape. He dashed towards the large body and with a water blast, smashed it away from the girl, he then summoned fifty more water clones around him, and as soon as the heartless were within range, he concentrated and five huge fountains of water came crashing out of the ground, demolishing the disgusting black creatures, "LIKE IT?!"

He then began to play on his sitar, a more energetic song, and soon all the water clones glowed, and with a smirk on his face……**BOOM!** They clones spread themselves out and blew up amongst the army of heartless, one followed by the other, setting off a chain reaction.

And then, he created a huge water sitar, and jumping on it, he rushed towards the remaining three hundred heartless and in a cry of fury, he shouted, "Rainbow Dragon Tsunami!" And immediately, the water sitar morphed into the shape of a dragon before splitting up into seven different water dragons. Each one glowed a different colour and in an instant, they were in front of the heartless.

Demyx smirked before playing one final accented note on his sitar……

The dragons engulfed the heartless and as one, they exploded, red meant fire, blue meant ice, violet meant magnetic, indigo meant gravity, yellow meant thunder and just as these five dragons accomplished their mission, the remaining two dragons, green and orange roared before combining and in an instant, a huge atomic detonation occurred, blasting the remaining heartless to smithereens.

The heartless army in this region was completely wiped out. The citizens of Sector two were amazed, these……these creatures had been destroyed by just one man, and what's more, he looked the age of a teenager! This young man saved their lives!

Demyx slowly held the young girl in his arms, and then gently handed her over to the guy with the machine gun in his arm. He had no idea why he had tears in his eyes, but that didn't matter, this girl was safe.

"Take care of her." Demyx whispered before he slowly collapsed, exhausted, and all he saw before he blacked out was the worried expression on the little girl's face………

_Hmph. And they call me a nobody………a chicken wuss nobody at that………looks like……Superior was right after all……

* * *

_

**_With Leon and co……_**

"Take that you &#&$#!!!" shouted Cid as he once again fended off fifty or so heartless from Sector Three. He was gasping for breath. Damnit. He was getting old.

Leon was right beside him, using his gunblade to perfection. He fought using the special style of swords fighting, Twin Lance. He gathered all his energy and with a sudden burst of speed, he charged at the Morning Stars, starting up a combo, he sent every one of them into the air, and then, not without slowing down, he leapt into the air and got ready.

He closed his eyes and cleared his mind, "Spiral Slash!"

He grabbed hold of his gunblade and began spinning slowly, gradually gaining speed and with amazing power, sliced through every single Morning Star in one swift move. He landed gracefully back onto the ground and as a finish, he emitted a shockwave covering a radius of five metres, demolishing any Shadows that tried to sneak up on him.

Even though he felt tired, he knew that this was not the time to slow down. He continued to slash his way through the heartless, clearing out a pathway for citizens to be evacuated. Sector three was currently swarmed with heartless, and it would take ages before they were totally exterminated.

Aerith was already having trouble trying to keep up. She was busy trying to heal the wounded citizens, yet the injuries just keep piling up. Cid too, was slowing down by the minute. She yelled, "Cid! Leave the heartless for a minute! Shera is in danger!"

Cid stopped his attack immediately and retreated, making sure that the gates were safe. Leon grunted as yet another heartless landed a blow on him. He stared off into the distance and saw two white-cloaked figures standing idly.

He knew that those were the chasers that Sora talked about, and that means, they are controlling the heartless. Now, if only he could defeat even just one of them, the attacks of the heartless would surely be less brutal.

And with that in mind, he ignored the heartless in front of him and charged towards them.

One of the cloaked figures noticed this and smirked, "You or me?"

The other softly replied, "I'll take care of this." And in a second, she had her weapon whipped out. It was some sort of projectile weapon, like a Blaster Edge.

She had on a mask shaped like a canine, and her face was totally covered. As soon as Leon was within shooting range, she sent the blaster edge at him, and muttered, "Divídase." And straight away, the blaster edge created multiple energy copies of itself.

Leon saw that coming and powered up his gunblade. The principle behind his fighting style, Twin Lance, is that both offense and defense are balanced. Nothing special, yet it works very efficiently.

Aerith saw what was happening and shouted, "Squall! Careful!"

Leon readied himself as the blaster edges formed a mini-hurricane around him, ready to cut him up. And just then, she muttered, "Aniquile."

And straight away, all the projectiles launched themselves at Leon at the speed of sound, Leon evaded a few of them, deflected some and got into his stance. He activated his limit break, the gunblade glowed a beautiful aqua and the energy was literally flowing off it.

He dashed towards the female chaser and gaining velocity, he got ready for the attack, "Slice and Dice!" And began a series of slashes at insane speed. The female chaser looked a little stunned at the display of his strength, but nonetheless, deflected his attacks using the blaster edges.

Yet, what was unexpected was the final slash that Leon used. A huge shockwave was emitted, demolishing almost everything in its way. The female chaser evaded just in time, yet her mask was destroyed.

Leon was prepared to add one more strike to finish her off when the mask fell of, revealing the face behind it.

_No._

He took a step back.

_No way._

He couldn't believe it.

_That face……those eyes……those lips……_

Aerith and Cid thought that Leon was subdued and rushed to his aid. Yet when both of them got behind him, the sight that they saw was unbelievable. It was shocking.

Cid's eyes widened, his cigarette fell onto the ground, his jaw was left hanging open, "What the……"

Aerith gasped and tears began to feel her eyes as she understood the horror that Leon must be feeling right now. She couldn't believe it. She _won't_ believe it.

Leon was dumbfounded. He couldn't move, he couldn't talk, he couldn't do anything. This was unreal. This……

The female chaser tidied her hair and spoke softly, "It's been a long time Squall……"

Leon staggered back, shaking his head with every step he took. _It can't be! _

The woman then said gently, "Let me introduce myself. I am the Cuatro (**fourth**) of the Atacantes. You remember my name, don't you?"

It was all Leon could do to prevent himself from passing out. He took two deep breaths and for the first time in so many years, tears of hatred, rage and love welled up in his eyes as he whispered her name.

"It's been a long time…………Rinoa………"

* * *

_**I don't think you saw that coming, did ya? LOL. Anyways, I hope this chapter is enough to make up for my late update. Now, holidays are arriving, and therefore, I shall be updating much faster. But only for these two weeks. You want me to update faster, you gotta review loads and boost my confidence. XD**_

_**Oh, and regarding Demyx, I think you guys can figure out who the little girl is. And no, that attack he used isn't THAT strong, it's just great for crowd-clearing. XD**_

_**Anyways, hope you thoroughly enjoy this chapter. And don't forget to review! x3**_

**_P.S. Don't worry about my writer's block. I think I got rid of it at the end of this chapter after coming up with this new storyline. Yeah! XD_**


	13. True Love

**_A/N: See, I updated faster than before eh? XD. As of now, I'm averaging about 6 reviews per chap, and really, I must say I'm pretty pleased and flattered. Honest. This is my first eva attempt at a KH fic, and of course, compared to others that number is still quite pathetic, but still, I'm really happy to have been able to amuse quite a number of you. _**

_**I truly want to thank you all, especially**_

_**- Brightshadow 5, for being actually interested enough to remind me that I forgot to update for quite some time……lol.**_

_**- mOOnlite-dUSk, who never fails to make me insanely happy with his praises…**_

_**- GTA Guy, for being so absolutely kind as to apologize for not reviewing…**_

_**- Oathkeepera, for being so smart as to be able to come up with different ways to boost my ego……I have to thank you for that.**_

_**- Ojex XIII, saying that this fic is one of the best he read……**_

**_- Chibirebel and ldybookiie, again, boosting my ego, but somehow, disappeared lately, hmmmm……lol, _**

_**- Anais05, who somehow feels that reviewing anonymously is so much easier and also disappeared for quite sometime, but……nonetheless, a thanks is necessary.**_

_**And to the 3 that kept reading the story till now, **_

**_- angelofsweetness, never fails to assure me that I'm doing pretty gd. I am right? x3_**

_**- Talitha Koum, for creating Nevaeh, and for actually giving me tips on making her more……natural……sorta…:P**_

_**- KHKairiNamineFanatic, for constantly encouraging and complimenting me throughout the 12 chaps. **_

**_And don't go feeling angry at me just because I didn't mention you. Those that I mentioned above have at least reviewed constantly since they first saw the fic. Anyone who reads the fic, has my thx. LOL. XD (Also, if you feel that the reason I gave for thanking you is really lame, yeah, I apologize in advance…)_**

**_Anyways, while we're on this issue, I'm trying to see if I can break the 100 review mark by Chapter 15. So, I'll need your strong support on this. I really hope I make it. :3 SO KEEP THEM COMING!!! _**

**_And now, after this huge as, (And maybe pointless to some of you) Author's Note, you must be thinking when the hell am I going to start Chapter 13 eh? Just scroll down a little, look at the disclaimer, yes, make sure you see it before you guys decide to use this as the perfect opportunity to sue me and destroy me for being so lame, and then scroll down a little more. There, chp 13. Happy? I am. :D_**

**_Disclaimer: As said above, do NOT own KH, or Nevaeh for that matter. If I owned them both, I would make Nevaeh a character in KH3 and tortured the producers so bad that they could produce a copy of KH3 tomorrow. But sadly, that ain't gonna happen.

* * *

_**

Hold Me Tight, Don't Let Go

Chapter 13: True Love

"You freaking kidding me?! Why……how……"

Cid was totally freaked out. He saw Rinoa being taken by the heartless with his own eyes, yet here she was, standing before them, all healthy, and worse, as their enemy, a strong one at that. He slapped his hand onto his forehead, this was just not his day.

Aerith bit her lip; her hands tightened her hold on her staff, ready to take defensive measures if necessary. She didn't want to do it. But, judging from the way Rinoa attacked Leon, she would have to be really careful. Her element was the exact opposite of Rinoa, and currently, it was raging in her body, screaming at her to take precautions against this woman before her. Yet, there was still a small part of her that wished for some sort of miracle to occur. Because if Rinoa really fought with her true strength………the Death element could be terrifying……

Leon brushed away the tears in his eyes, and stared intently at Rinoa. There she was, standing in front of him, yet, the aura around her was totally different. It was evil. It was dark. In a way, it wasn't Rinoa. But he knew he was fooling himself. His mind refused to accept the simple fact that Rinoa has turned over to the dark side. He gritted his teeth. What else could he do? Go up casually and ask, "Hi Rinoa, it's been a while. How have you been?" Yeah right. Like that would work. He gave a huge sigh and smiled bitterly. How ironic. While he was blaming himself for her death, she was training to become stronger for the opposing army………

Just then, the other white-cloaked figure raised his head, "Ho. Looks like some form of reinforcements came. Heartless in sector 2 got wiped out. Some guy who used the water element. I better go check it out. You can enjoy your little reunion here."

Rinoa nodded and added softly, "Try and be careful, will you?"

The guy grinned in his hood, "Come on, you know my strength. I am after all, the Quinto (fifth) of the Atacantes." And with that, he **whooshed **off.

Silence. Nobody moved. Nobody spoke. The citizens were bewildered. The sorceress was back? Why then, was their SeeD leader look so crestfallen? Isn't it a good thing?

Finally, Rinoa spoke up, "Spent enough time lamenting?" And with a quick gesture, her Blast Edge returned to her hand once again, ready to strike at her command at any time. All the citizens tensed at that. What? Did she just say lament?

Aerith slowly responded, "Rinoa. Come on, let's talk this out. Please……I don't want to fight you. What happened to the old times? Why?! Why must it all come down to this again?! It's Squall! How……how could……" She couldn't continue. It was just……too hard.

Rinoa smiled sadly, "I know." And slowly, she took off her cloak, revealing her usual aqua battle costume. "But, you know something? I don't care anymore. I need to prove my existence. That was the whole purpose of me being saved from the depths of darkness. I have no need for love anymore. Now come."

Cid yelled, "So you're just gonna forget everything?! All the stuff we did together?! Even your love for Squall?!"

Rinoa shook her head slightly, "No. I won't forget it. It shall remain in my mind forever. But seeing as how all these stuff are pretty much useless, I've shut it out ages ago. So in a way, that is the same as forgetting. Now, get out of my way. Master Razor demanded that at least ten thousand hearts were obtained. I have to fulfill my mission."

Leon's eyes gleamed at that and slowly lifted his head, "……Do you mean it?"

Rinoa smiled sadistically, "Absolutely." And brandished her blast edge, as if to emphasize the point.

Aerith looked at her helplessly, and took a few steps forward, "Very well. It's been a long time since Holy had met Death. Let's see which is stronger after all these time."

Cid cussed and got into his offensive posture, spear ready for action, muttering "This just isn't happening……"

Leon however, took one last look at her, and once again, summoned his limit break. The look in his eyes said it all. Cid and Aerith smiled weakly at him and he returned it. It was time to settle this once and for all. He steeled himself and slowly took a few steps forward, and stared long and hard at Rinoa.

Rinoa returned the stare, not showing any emotion whatsoever, least not to Cid or Aerith.

Leon then stared at the sky and sighed, "So be it……"

Rinoa turned serious as well, "Let the show begin. Heartless! Answer my call!" And as expected, hundreds of heartless crawled out of the ground, ready to attack. Rinoa gave one wave, and from that point on, Leon knew that he was definitely scarred for life……

* * *

_**In Sector 2……**_

"Papa! When's he going to wake up?" Marlene asked, jumping up and down to emphasize the fact that she was really anxious.

Barrett grunted as he looked towards Elmyra, waiting for her diagnosis. She slowly smiled, "Don't worry, he's just exhausted. He'll wake up soon enough."

"Yay! Alright! Mr. Water Clown is going to wake up really soon!" And proceeded to hop up and down on Demyx's bed. Barrett immediately pulled her down, "Marlene! He's tired! You have to be quiet so that he can recuperate."

As if on cue, a groan could be heard from Demyx as he slowly tried to get up. Elmyra immediately pushed him back into bed, "Oh no you don't! You have to rest!" Demyx blinked, rubbed his eyes, blinked again.

Then he asked, "Okay, erm, why are you caring for my well-being? I'm just a stranger right?"

Elmyra looked at him as though he was out of his mind, "You saved the whole of Sector 2! The least we could do was try and make it comfortable for you after that fight."

"But……"

"NO BUTS! You saved us. We repay you. Got a problem?!" yelled Barrett, shaking his mechanical arm menacingly.

Demyx shut up instantly, "No." And obediently lay down in bed as he allowed Elmyra to bandage his wounds. Just then, Marlene squealed and hugged him, "Yay! Water Clown's awake! Hello, my name is Marlene. How do you do, Mr. Water Clown?"

Demyx laughed awkwardly. _Mr. Water Clown huh……guess that's my new nickname……_

All of a sudden, a huge **CRACK!** Was heard and Barrett stiffened at once.

"HEY! THAT WATER SISSY! GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE SO THAT I CAN PAWN IT!"

Demyx was bewildered, before understanding, "Oh, he means me eh?"

Everyone in the room sweatdropped.

Demyx gave a laugh and slowly got up, "No worries. I'll take care of it."

Elmyra looked worried, "But you just……"

Demyx assured her, "Look, I'm fine. Besides, if I don't get this job done. _Superior_ is gonna punish me anyway. Just relax and watch a pro handle it."

"HEARTLESS! Let's GO!"

Demyx cursed, "Crap." And charged through the window, and summoned his sitar. Instantly, he saw the familiar white cloaked figure in front of him. He summoned ten water clones and sent them at the heartless whilst he charged at the figure himself.

"God, you chasers never learn do you?"

The figure merely sneered, "Come on, sissy. I know all about your weaknesses. You ain't too strong at physical combat are you?"

Demyx blinked, "Er……physical combat?"

The figure stopped and laughed, "My apologies, I just meant close range attacks."

"Ooookay."

The figure was wearing a hawk-like mask, with no weapons, as far as Demyx could make out. He certainly wasn't hiding anything. Demyx decided to test his strength and shot out a huge stream of water at the guy and at the same time, the clones charged towards him, sitars ready to attack.

The guy flash-stepped and appeared behind Demyx in an instant, and sneering, he drove multiple punches into Demyx's back, sending him flying through buildings.

'_OH MY GOD! What the hell are his fists made of?'_ screamed Demyx's mind as he tried to get up. Now he realized what the guy meant by physical combat……Well, two can play the game……and once more, fifty clones appeared and dashed towards him from all directions.

The guy snorted, "Don't you ever learn?" And demolished a quarter of them with a single shockwave emitted from his fists. Yet, that was all Demyx needed, he charged at his opponent, and **BAM!** All was silent as Sitar made contact with the guy's skull. Demyx smirked, thinking, _'Ha! I got ya now!' _

However, things clearly weren't going as planned. The guy simply scratched his cheek, lifted the sitar along with Demyx, and flung them across the streets once again. And therefore, once again, Demyx suffered countless bruises from the mere brute strength used by the Chaser.

"I'm the combat king. No physical attack could possibly damage me. NONE." And with that, he burst out laughing.

Demyx sighed, and with some effort, got up once more. "Ah well, let's see how you deal with long range attacks." And as he readied his sitar, he began his song, "Enjoy, Whirlpool Symphony!" All the demolished water clones reformed and dashed in a circle around the guy, who merely 'Hmphed'. And as they gained velocity, they began to glow, and soon enough, three other circles of water clones revolved on the outside of the first one.

"First movement! Articulation - Tenuto!" The guy soon sensed the danger and tried to dodge, but it was too late. The water clones charged at him from every single angle and lodged onto him.

"What the heck?! Get off me!" And as he tried to punch them off and fling them away, each one of the clones sealed his movements by forming a sort of barrier around his limbs, leaving his body open to attack.

"Second Movement! Pulse - Crescendo e accelerando!" The second circle of clones sped up and as one, they threw their sitars at the chaser, smashing him higher up into the sky, yet, they weren't finished, they mingled with the third circle to cover a bigger area.

"Third Movement! Stringendo poco a poco!" And on cue, the clones jumped into the air, and without losing their velocity, smashed themselves into the chaser, one after another. The energy each clone contains is equal to the force of a train traveling at 80 kilometers per hour. The guy is obviously feeling the pressure build up as the hits mount up.

Demyx then grinned, "Today's your lucky day. You're the first one to listen to my new piece. Now enjoy! Dynamic Finale – Sforzando!!" At that instant, the clones that lodged themselves onto the Chaser's body glowed once again and exploded simultaneously, blasting him towards the ground, yet, there's more to it. The final circle of clones beneath charged upwards as they transformed into fountains of water, smashing him from both left and right sides, further increasing the velocity of his fall. And then, the destroyed clones were regenerated and began dashing in circles once again, forming a huge whirlpool.

The guy was fifty metres from the ground before the whirlpool engulfed him, causing him to crash back down onto Midgar at the speed of 200 kilometers per hour. And crash he did, right in the middle of Sector two, demolishing a fair load of heartless himself and creating a crater with a diameter of fifty metres.

Demyx finished the song with style and with one final twist, he gave a victorious grin and leaned on his sitar. The citizens' jaws were practically on the ground. That attack is _ingenious_. No one could have evaded that.

Demyx, however, knew that it wasn't enough and got back into his defensive posture, yet he smirked, "Ha. Watch out Xigbar, next time you dare bully me……"

Yet, his thoughts were cut off as the Chaser leapt out of the crater, panting. "Not…bad. Looks like……I under…estimated…you……but no…worries……this will finish in NO TIME!"

And he shouted, "Mach Kick!" and **WHAM!** A kick connected with Demyx's chin and he was airborne straight away. "Booya! (**A/N: It's actually the name of his attack.) **And **SMASH!** If his nose contained blood, he would be spilling rivers of it by now. And yes, he did get sent flying.

"This is it! Meteor Strike!" His fists turned red all of a sudden, emitting heat waves that were enough to decimate a huge building and smashed them onto the ground, the result was of course, having burning 'meteors' flying straight for Demyx. And obviously, deciding that he does NOT want to become pig roast, he yelled, "Fountain Swirl!" And at once, the usual shield of water managed to block most of the rocks, yet it still wasn't over.

The Chaser smirked, "Final blow……BURNING RAVE!" And flash-stepped once more. Demyx gulped as he saw the chaser, his hands still on fire, right in front of him, fists raised, ready to pummel him. He laughed bitterly and closed his eyes, _Damn……so this is it huh? I knew I shouldn't have come alone……Hey, will I become a ghost? Hmm, maybe I can even haunt Superior or something……_

And as thoughts raced through his mind, everyone can tell that death was inevitable.

* * *

_**With Leon and co……**_

"Goddamnit!" yelled Cid as he got nailed in the chest once again by one of the projectiles. He couldn't believe it. Rinoa had gotten so much stronger. Hell, if it weren't for Leon, his ass would've been fried ages ago. He knew that. But what can he do about it? So, he did the only thing possible. He swore.

Aerith was trying her best holding the force field intact. Her job was to prevent any damage done to the surroundings and the citizens. She was doing her best, yet she knew she wouldn't be able to handle the strain on her element much longer.

Death, when combined with darkness……isn't a very pleasing opponent. And it just so happens that Rinoa had to be the Sorceress, meaning that she can control the Death element at will. Wonderful. It's times like this, that she wants to just go, "DAMN IT ALL TO HELL!!" She gritted her teeth, tears threatening to fall once more, _Squall……Rinoa……_

Leon was defending more than he was attacking. He was panting slightly as well, due to the huge amount of fatigue carried on from previous fights with the heartless. Not only that, his mind refused to let him lay even a single hit on Rinoa, thereby making the fight totally one-sided. He cursed at himself for being unable to accept reality, yet, there was always this part within him that hoped for some, no, any sort of miracle to occur. Every swipe of his gunblade was a swipe at his heart. Every injury caused on his body by Rinoa was a smash on his conscience.

He shook his head subconsciously, _I'm still weak. I can't believe this. I…just don't know……_

Rinoa noticed his temporary lack of awareness and smirked, "You're mine!" And whispered, "Angel Wing……" Slowly, she began to glow, a curtain of red rays engulfed her and gradually, wings began to emerge from her back. It was ironic how the technique name was angel wing, yet, the wings were sinisterly black. Her eyes too, seemed to hold a different emotion and to top it all off, her transformation caused a huge outburst of energy to be released, blasting Leon off his feet into the air.

And all Rinoa did was snap her fingers, "Multi-Ultima……"

Leon somehow saw this coming, yet his mind was screaming at him for not taking any sort of action, however, he ignored it. All he thought about was _I deserve this……_

So he closed his eyes and let fate take control over his life………

* * *

_**With Demyx……**_

"BURNING RAVE!"

And just as the chaser felt ready to end his life once and for all, another soft, yet determined voice rang in everyone's ears, "Meteodrive!" In an instant, a blur of black dashed in front of Demyx and clashed with his attack right on.

"What the…oh crap!" The energy concentrated in the four fists collided and reacted violently, creating a huge shockwave, sending both attackers flying backwards in the direction they came from. Yet, the chaser was thrown back into the wall of a building with twice the velocity he was charging with, and the anonymous attacker merely back flipped, caught Demyx in mid-air and landed gracefully back where she started. It was obvious who the winner was.

Demyx blinked, okay, he was saved. That part he understood. Erm, female savior? Okay, that was new. How many females did he know? Let's see, Namine? Nah, this one's too tall. Larxene? Nah, she's not so well-developed in the chest region……wait a minute……er…are the two lumps……_gulp…_

"I would suggest not getting any dirty thoughts now, Demyx. Or I would just chuck you at that chaser and go save someone else."

Another voice rang out, this one sounded a tad cold, "Need help?"

"Nah, I could take him. And Cloud, that guy……it can't be him……can it?"

And soon a certain brunet hopped into view, and waved at Demyx, "Yo! Looks like we got here just in time! No time for greetings, Kairi! Go check for any severe injuries and as soon as you're done, judging from what that Barrett guy told us, Leon's in trouble! Hurry!"

Demyx gave a sigh of relief and hopped off the female's shoulder. So, the Keyblade master came himself eh? _Looks like I owe him another one……_

Meanwhile, the Chaser slowly got out of the rubble and made his way towards the group. His mask was shattered and growling he ripped it off his face and smashed it onto the ground. "So! You're still better than me? Damn! I wouldn't have believed it. Oh well. I might as well go all out against you. But before that…"

He grinned, "Hi, sis. How ya been?"

Tifa's eyes widened in horror as her lips quivered, struggling to find the right sounds to pronounce the name of that certain someone who was supposed to be dead………

Even Cloud's eyes turned stormy, his hands tightened around his buster blade as he glared at the chaser, willing him to say that it wasn't true, that it was all just an illusion.

Sora looked on, confused. Kairi too, was looking at Tifa, until she suddenly remembered that one time when she said,

**Flashback**

"_I swore that I will not let another one of my sibling be harmed……I did once……but never will again……" and with that, she smiled gently and resumed treating the blisters on Namine and her hands, never failing to instill with them a sense of joy and respect. She was truly their big sister……_

**End Flashback**

Tifa whispered. "Zell……is that you?"

* * *

_**Back with Leon and co……**_

Aerith's eyes widened as she saw the attack Rinoa used. What's worse, she knew it. Deep in her heart she knew that Squall wouldn't block it. He would just take it as a form of punishment.

Which was why…without thinking……she whispered, "Istante Flash……"

Instantly, she teleported right in front of Leon, and judging from the looks on his face, he looked shocked. Aerith smiled at him weakly before giving him a gentle hug and whisper in his ears, _"Maybe this should have happened all the while……good bye……my love……" _And with that, she pushed Leon out of the way and turned around to embrace her doom……

Cid was eyeing the situation in horror, and with all his might, he shouted, "Dragoon Flame!" And chucked his spear directly at the magic dome, somewhat lessening its power, yet he knew that it wasn't enough. Rinoa continued to smile sickly, "I knew you would do that……you're just a love sick puppy……like me……now DIE!"

And at that instant, as she slowly balled her fists into one……Aerith smiled ever so gently and whispered, "Planet Protector." and combined all her energy into a gigantic shield, protecting everyone from the gigantic explosion that occurred. And just as it died down, the aftermath sunk in.

Leon's eyes widened, "AERITH!" And as if on cue, she turned back and gave her usual smile _…I love you……_ before the remaining dark energy broke through her shield and engulfed her, blasting her right in the chest. For an instant…it was raining……blood……as Aerith got deflected out of the way back onto the ground.

Leon was shaken out of his reverie and dashed as fast as he possibly could and stretched before barely catching Aerith in a hold and landed on the ground with him on his back. He immediately got into a sitting position, "Aerith! Aerith!"

Said girl was gasping for breath and panting. She was bleeding profusely, the magic damage inflicted on her was insane. Ultima was used so that the opponent would be squished to a pulp due to the explosions from all sides. Currently, her internal organs were basically mangled and it was clear to anyone……that she was dying……

Tears of hatred and regret rose into his eyes. _No……not again……no please……_

"Don't cry……" Aerith whispered, raising her hand shakily towards his eyes, attempting to wipe away the tears.

Leon immediately grasped her hand gently, "I…I'm not……Aerith……look at me……you're going to survive this……you hear me……Aerith! Please! I……"

Aerith merely chuckled softly and coughed up more blood, "I know……you…still……love her……but……it doesn't……matter. I just……couldn't…control myself……. No matter……how much……I told…myself……that you…could…never…love…me……. Even…if…you…don't…return my…love…it's…fine. Ever since……I first…saw…you……I knew……I loved you………but _–cough- _you only……saw…Rinoa…so……I wanted…to…give up………yet……whenever…you're…sad……I just…can't help it……but to…stand in…front of you……like a dumb……little girl……trying to……make you……feel better……"

"Aerith……" Tears were flowing freely on Leon's face, dripping onto her face.

He had no idea……he had been _blind_. If only he hadn't been so stupid. If only he realized it earlier……

Her breathing sounded more difficult by the second and she knew there wasn't much time left, so she mustered her final strength, and caressed Leon's cheek ever so lovingly, "Squall……I…finally……have…a…place……in…your…heart now……I am…so…happy……Goodbye……my love……" And with that, her hand fell down, limp. Her eyes struggled to stay open, wanting to have a longer look at the world that she enjoys so much……

_Goodbye……everyone……_

Her eyes gradually closed whilst her breathing slowly halted to a complete stop…………

"Aerith! AERITH! AERITH!"

Leon yelled as he shook the girl many times, trying to get her to wake up, willing anyone to tell him that this was all a dream. _No way……Aerith……Oh god……no……_

Hot tears of anger rushed into his eyes, as he slowly lifted Aerith's face up to his and tenderly placed a soft kiss onto her lips, before laying her down as gently as he could.

He slowly got up, gunblade in hand and the look that he directed at Rinoa was filled with such hate and venom, that she took a step back. The aura around him radiated anger and regret, causing even Cid to stare in awe. Leon roared once again as his gunblade took on a new form, red hot lava-like energy enveloped it and slowly, a replica of the gunblade appeared, this one was like his old gunblade in limit break form.

Leon took one last look at Aerith before his eyes burned with rage as he directed the gaze towards his ex-girlfriend. He gritted his teeth and growled, "Be prepared to meet your doom……CHASER!"

Unbeknownst to Leon, Rinoa was smiling bitterly as she slowly shed a tear……_ Finally, you let go of me……now all I have to do……is wait for you to kill me……Goodbye Squall……

* * *

_

_**I hope the angst in this chapter was satisfactory. Man, I was nearly killing myself when I wrote the Aerith scene. If it wasn't good enough or too cheesy, I apologize. If not, please review! What is going to happen to Aerith? Not telling. What is going to happen to Rinoa? Not telling. Want to know? Review and read the next chap. **_

_**Enjoy. XD**_


	14. El Curativo Santo

_**A/N: Thank you guys SOOOOO much!!! Looks like I'm well on my way to 100 reviews by chap 15!!! You guys rock! XD**_

_**If you think I update slow, hey, it's not my fault that I'm lazy eh? It's……er……my genes! See, yeah, it's not my fault at all. Nuh uh………--**_

_**Anyways, I just wanted to say erm……like, how many of you actually noticed that I posed the question at the end of last chap, "What's going to happen to Aerith?" **_

_**Lol, I think you know what I'm getting at. Well, let's see if I actually get it right for once. XD Now, on with the story!**_

_**Disclaimer: Look, just look at me. I'm poor, tired and possibly the dumbest guy alive. HOW can I own KH? God, how do you even expect me to be able to create such a brilliant OC like Nevaeh?! There. That answer you damn lawyers? XD

* * *

**_

Hold Me Tight, Don't Let Go

Chapter 14: El Curativo Santo

"Zell?" Tifa whispered. No, it couldn't be. It just……couldn't. She saw how he was engulfed by the heartless that particular night, how he had yelled at her to escape whilst he held them off. It was all etched deeply in her memories. So why? Why was her brother standing in front of her, as a member of the hated Chasers, fighting against her?

Cloud's face looked murderous. Sora was surprised to see such a huge amount of emotion being displayed from the usually calm and collected swordsman. Yet, what he didn't know was that Cloud realized the sole reason why Zell could still be here. He had given in to the darkness.

Zell merely smirked and said, "Yo sis! Glad that I'm back?"

Tifa's lips were quivering, tears threatening to fall any second. She clapped her hands over her mouth, trying to calm herself down, wanting to be able to analyze the situation, yet, _she couldn't_. She took a few steps forward, before flinging herself at him, catching him in a huge hug, "Zell!"

Kairi felt somewhat uneasy at this reunion. Why, you ask? Simple. One, that damn smirk was still on his face. Two, the way he was eyeing her didn't seem brotherly. And three, I guess the fact that his fist was going to connect with her stomach in one second should be more that enough to prove that whatever he was……he's no longer the brother Tifa knew.

Sure enough, Zell said, "Thought so, sis." And **WHAM!** Tifa was sent flying back. Luckily, Cloud caught her in mid-air and landed gracefully with her in his arms. Then, slowly, he placed the now sobbing Tifa back onto the ground, and his hands began to drift towards his buster sword……

"Cloud! No! Don't……don't! Not…yet. Just……let me……"

"Tifa. The guy you see in front of you……isn't Zell."

Zell laughed, "What do ya mean I'm not me? Ya crazy or something? I would have thought those years flying around in the vast darkness might have made you smarter, apparently I was wrong."

Cloud's frown increased, buster sword in hand, stance ready, he said, "The Zell we know……still exists……beneath that layer of darkness attached to him! This isn't Zell. This is a mere image of the guy we once knew! You monster!" And without another word, he charged at him.

Zell smirked once again, "Hmph, and I thought someone told me to be calm at all times." And flash-stepped out of the way in the nick of time. Cloud refused to let him have any time to rest and continued unleashing attack after attack. Zell growled, "I'm warning you now, Cloudy. You mess with me and I'll start playing real dirty. I wouldn't give a crap if I broke your face or something."

Sora and Kairi watched on, wondering to themselves: _What the heck is going on?_

Yet, that was soon cut short by a huge explosion in sector 3. And all of a sudden, Kairi felt something tug at her heart. She whisked around, keyblade in hand, ready to strike, but found nothing. She looked everywhere, no threat was present. Yet, it kept feeling like a hand was grabbing at her heart, and what's worse, she felt like giving in to the hand had it not been for Sora, who noticed and gave off an aura of light that immediately dispersed the foul……thingy…whatever it was.

Kairi shuddered and mouthed a gentle "thank you" at Sora before turning towards Sector 3. What was it? What was the weird feeling that she kept experiencing? It wasn't normal. She was sure she had……wait a minute……

"Sora, did you feel anything?"

And when she got a negative answer, her heart began to race. _Oh my, could it be?_

Her eyes widened when she suddenly remembered the lesson she had with Merlin……

She gulped and straight away, she dashed off towards sector 3, ignoring the gasps of the citizens, she pushed through them and continued to run wildly, as fast as she could. _This feeling, this sense of horror, this unease……tell me that it's not what I think it is……_

Sora was beside her in a second and without so much as questioning her motives at all, he grinned and in a swift move, without her even realizing, she was on his back. She giggled as Sora leapt to the top of the houses and began traveling via the latest route: Roofs.

It was times like this that she really felt good to have such a caring boyfriend. Sora never did anything meaningless. Every thing he did for her, no matter how insignificant the matter may seem, they all meant a lot to her. Sora _knew_ her. To many of you, that might be the stupidest comment ever. You would be thinking, "Well, OBVIOUSLY, he knew her." But, really, what is knowing someone? What does it truly mean?

Simply knowing his name? Being his friend? His wife?

It isn't that simple. To Kairi, knowing someone means to be able to analyze that someone's every move, understand any thoughts that are going through that person's mind, and able to come up with stuff every now and then with excellent timing. This seems a bit bleak and weird. Yes, because there's only one person in the world she really, really knows. That's Sora.

Sora _knows_ that something is troubling her, yet, he understands the seriousness of this and therefore, does not waste time asking useless questions, instead, he leaves her to her own thoughts, and judging using his logic as to what she might want to do and helping her in that.

Usually, when one is troubled, the first thought would be to comfort, to ask, to talk, ANYTHING but to actually try and understand that person's problem and act instead of pointless conversation. The mere thought that Sora's able to understand her so completely makes her feel giddy with love.

_Maybe……we really are meant to be……_

Then, she suddenly shook her head, "Sora, can you……"

"Sure, Sector 3 right? I knew you were worried about that explosion. Seems like some sort of advanced magic. Hmm, ah, I see, you're worried about Aerith eh?"

Once again, Kairi blushed. She nuzzled her face into his neck from behind and giggled, "That's right, Mr. Know-it-all."

And with that, Sora gave a slight nod and picked up his pace. He didn't fight thousands of heartless for nothing. Stamina, muscles, strength, you name it, he's got it.

Suddenly, a huge aura of red rose from the centre of Sector 3, a feeling of pure rage and regret reached them, and this time, Sora felt it, clearer than ever. _Oh god. They are in trouble._

Kairi was really worried now. She couldn't sense the Holy element within Aerith anywhere. Yet, another element totally opposite to it felt stronger than ever. And at that, her eyes widened with realization…_ Death…No…AERITH!

* * *

_

_**With Leon……**_

Two gunblades in hand, one symbolizing his hatred, rage and regret, the other symbolizing his serenity, joy and tenderness. Crimson contrasting perfectly with aqua. And obviously, right now, the second gunblade was oozing more power. His first gunblade was name Revolver, seeing how all the power symbolizes the feelings that revolve around him. This one……he decides to name it Punishment.

And with that thought in mind, and one last look at Aerith, he steeled himself and charged straight towards Rinoa. He didn't care about his own safety anymore. In fact, there was a part of him that wanted to just kill himself along with Rinoa so that he can get the chance to see Aerith once more……_Let it all end……_

Rinoa summoned her projectiles once again, and they began to rain down once again. Now, one would expect flaws in a fighter's moves after receiving such a huge emotional shock and a certain amount of rashness. Yet, Leon does the exact opposite. His moves are totally rational, and no amount of risk was involved. He didn't overdo the attacks, and not once let down his defenses.

Cid had to hand it to him. This guy was a no nonsense guy when it came to battling. Why else would he be the leader of the SeeDs?

Rinoa was starting to get frustrated, _why is he still so calm?_

What she didn't know was, Leon wasn't even close to being calm. Oh no. He was raging inside. Sometimes, he had to thank the special emotion mask he had developed on his face over the years when fighting against opponents. There was no way to tell whether he was affected by emotions or not. It was unnerving, to say the least.

In actual fact, Leon was calculating every move, wanting to make sure he had one hundred percent success rate before actually moving in for the kill. He wasn't going to risk his life over one pointless attack. He would rather underestimate his own abilities and overestimate the opponent's. That way, not only could he get the opponent to make mistakes, he would be able to exploit those flaws to his advantage.

Battle's not all about being brawn. Strategies definitely have their place in battles. He would not die in vain. If he really wasn't good enough, he would face death fearlessly. Yet, to put it simply, he did not want to waste his life. The life that Aerith had so dearly saved just a few minutes ago. No, it cannot be wasted.

Which was why every single move Leon used was after delicate consideration. And it was because of this, that he was currently gaining advantage over the sorceress (Rinoa). His eyes blazed with fury, his moves and blades were an awe to look at. Flashing blurs of red and blue ignited the gloomy atmosphere. It was truly a magnificent sight to behold.

Rinoa however, was continuously taunting Leon, trying to get him to make a move, "It's hopeless Squall. What is done, is done. You cannot revert it. Don't think that your new lover will just pop back into existence. She can't. No one can save her. So just give up. Give yourself into hate, to the darkness within you!"

Leon growled and continue to attack meticulously, seemingly unaffected by her words, but she knew better, "Now, since when did the SeeD leader become such a weakling?" She smirked.

Leon was slowly frustrated and just as he was about to lose focus, a clear voice rang out, "Come on Leon! Don't tell me you really are weak!"

Leon gasped quietly and then replied, "Hmph, speak for yourself." But clearly, a small smirk crept to his lips, and at once, the effects are clearly shown. He was slowly gaining advantage in his fight.

At that precise moment, Sora and Kairi dashed into the sector and landed gracefully, keyblades armed, ready for battle. Sora grinning at Leon, happy that his comment had worked, yet, all it took was one look at the disheveled appearance of the figure lying on the floor to completely destroy any joy he felt earlier on……

"AERITH!" Kairi skidded to a halt beside the figure, and stared in horror at her peaceful face, smiling, eyes closed……If it wasn't for the blood, one would have thought she was merely sleeping and having a good dream.

Unlike Leon, she did what a normal teenage girl would do. She cried. She cradled Aerith's head in her arms and cried as loudly as she could. Sora gritted his teeth, and glared at the chaser, keyblade brimming with energy, ready to strike at will.

Just then, a faint glow began to form around Aerith. It was as if something within her was reacting with Kairi…She gasped and wiped off her tears, trying to associate what the link was. It felt warm, the horrible feeling she had earlier on disappeared in a flash.

Suddenly Kairi felt a faint pulse of life emitted that was directed to her heart. She yelped softly at the extra burst of energy and Sora was at her side in an instant. He placed his hands on her shoulders and slowly, he transferred some energy into Kairi, hoping to steady whatever it was that's causing her trouble.

Yet, that only caused the pulse to grow greater by the second, it was as if something was growing…no…developing within her. It wasn't painful, it wasn't negative, it was just…ticklish, like a bubble growing bigger and bigger. And suddenly, she remembered the conversation she had with Merlin a few weeks ago on the Elements and their effects……

* * *

_**Flashback……**_

"_Now Kairi, what are the main elements?" _

"_Fire, Water, Thunder, Earth, Holy, Wind, Wood, Ice, Light, Darkness, Death, Demi and Regen."_

"_Wow, that's impressive Kairi! You managed to get all thirteen at the first go!" Merlin smiled._

_Kairi blushed, "I try."_

"_Well, then, can you tell me the links between them?"_

_Kairi thought for a moment and replied, "The elements are divided into two groups: Primary and Secondary. The primary group consists of the five basic elements, based on the facts of Nature. Worlds revolve around them. They are fire, water, thunder, earth, and wood. Thunder is a special case as it can be related to as metal as well."_

"_Good, now note here. The fact that thunder relates to metal is very important later on, for it is the primary theory that allows the other elements to exist. Now, go on." _

"_They form the cycles of balance. In the cycle of creation: Wood feeds fire, fire creates earth (ash), earth bears metal (thunder), metal collects water, water nourishes wood. These five substances control all growth. Now, for the cycle of destruction: wood parts earth, earth absorbs water, water quenches thirst, fire melts metal, metal chops wood. These dictates the reason for all destruction." _

"_Excellent! Now, can you go on any further?" Merlin was practically leaping about in happiness at finally finding a wizard (witch) with such high potential._

_Kairi scratched her head sheepishly, "I'm afraid not. That's basically all I know." _

_Merlin continued, "That's alright! You've exceeded my expectations greatly. Namine too. I can't believe that such brilliant magic-wielders still exist! Oh! Such great rejoice!" And proceeded to dab at the tears in his eyes. _

_Kairi sweatdropped._

_Then, Merlin said, "Now, Kairi, pay close attention to what I'm going to say next. You have basically covered half of the whole topic, now, the other eight elements form bigger circles around the original five. Why? Because they are created by the five basic elements."_

"_Here goes, remember as much as you can. We'll go over them again. First up, Fire and water makes wind, wind and water makes ice, earth and wood makes holy, fire and thunder makes death, water and thunder form demi and finally earth and water forms regen. These six creates one thin circle around the five primary elements."_

"_And as expected, the two strongest elements, light and darkness. Yes, I know, they do indeed come from the ideas of the Realm of light and darkness…simply because, the elements does exactly what the users want it to. Light is able to calm a person's nerves, give better reflexes, boosts whenever needed. Same goes for darkness. Yet, it rarely appears, for these two elements choose their users very carefully. And it seems like we're pretty lucky to have one of each at the moment." _

_Kairi's eyes widened, "Really? You mean…Sora and Riku?" _

_Merlin nodded and smiled, "Yes, indeed, Sora is the sole user of the element of light. Riku, darkness. However, Sora's nobo…Erhem…brother, seems to have created an all new element." _

"_Roxas?"_

"_The element of twilight it seems. It now resides in between light and darkness. Same goes for Namine. Yet, the truth is that Twilight shall always be weaker than light or darkness. Can you tell me why?"_

"_Well……maybe…because twilight is……balanced?" _

"_Oh?"_

"_Well, it contains both darkness and light, yet when fighting against light users, it doesn't have enough darkness to overcome it, and same goes for darkness."_

"_EXCELLENT!" _

_Kairi jumped at Merlin's enthusiasm._

"_Oh! Sorry my dear, Erhem. Now, can you tell me which two elements make up light and which two makes up darkness?"_

"_Yes sir. Holy and Regen make up light, whereas Death and Demi make up darkness, right?"_

"_I guess that was clear cut, but nonetheless, I think pretty much got everything here. In the old days, people used to call this formation the Five Elements and Eight Divinations. But I guess, now it has to change, seeing how your friends has added one more." _

"_Erm, Merlin, I read on the books that when the eight elements clash, it's somewhat different from the five elements……"_

"_Oh yes. You see, the five elements, when undergoing the cycle of destruction, merely ranks the users according to their will and power. And before you interrupt, strength is NOT power. And so, if one has enough determination, fire might even evaporate water."_

"_But for the other eight elements, something more drastic occurs, for the outcomes are more drastic. The battles contain more danger, losing the battle for example, between ice and wind could cause the opponent to fully suffer the aftereffects of the attacks. Yet, when one is __**defending**__against another, solely defending, then it becomes a little complicated. The element will grant the user full use of their power and if the defense fails, normally, the user would be defeated and drained of whatever energy they have left. Only four elements are able to do so……"_

"_Uh, is it Holy, Light, Darkness and Death?" _

_Merlin gave a grave nod, "Indeed. Now, the moment the defense is pierced, the user usually faints, or even dies, yet these four elements will withdraw immediately and form a temporary veil around the user, preventing him/her from dying. They sustain them in a state of False Death, where all organs of the body cease their functions but the user is still 'alive', in a way. Yet, only users that are acknowledged by the elements have a minuscule chance of making this happen."_

"_Remember the time where Sora released his heart and turned into a heartless, only to finally turn back after receiving your care and concern once again?"_

_Kairi nodded, and blushed a deep red at that thought……_

"_That is the best example I could give you about a user being saved. Yet, so far……the only person to make it back by himself is of course, Sora. Riku, with the help of darkness and the explosion of that machine that Ansem had allowed him to change back as well."_

"_However, in other cases, it's not as simple. The user would be in the False Death state for a maximum of twenty hours. The only advantage is that any further damage they receive would amount to nothing. But, if at the end of the twenty four hours, no one else is there to save him/her, then, death would truly occur." _

"_Er, Merlin? How exactly can you save….."_

"_You see, that's the problem. __**No one**__ knows."_

"_Huh?" Kairi was looking at him skeptically. _

"_Now, now, wait for me to finish. The reason why no one knows, is probably because, they really don't know. It doesn't make much sense, but indeed, from the ones I've seen, and mind you I've seen quite a few, they don't really know."_

"_Because the ways each individual does it is totally different, it looked almost as if the way was improvised right on the spot. Trust me, if you ever encounter such a situation, you'll know." And with that, he winked and went out of the room for a well-deserved break, leaving Kairi to ponder on the subject a little further……_

_**End Flashback……

* * *

**_

Sora was staring at her in awe, she too, was beginning to glow, like Aerith and in an instant, strong electric bonds began to form between the two of them and they began to levitate in the air. And suddenly, she was sent back to the realm where she met Floral Fallal, and indeed, she was greeted by a beautiful plain full of flowers, and right in the middle stood Floral Fallal.

"_Hi."_

"What's…what's going on?"

"_It's time to awaken part of your potential……you are a Princess of Heart, making you the perfect selection for this element. This…is your first gift from us…cherish it…and don't let us down……"_

"Us? What?"

The girl merely chuckled and hugged her, _"Believe in yourself, believe in your friends, and we'll be able to help you…never lose faith……"_

Kairi merely bit her lips and slowly nodded.

"_Good, now go. We'll meet again. Bye!" _

And with a wave, she was sent back. Her eyes shot open and as if some force was beckoning her to do it, she placed her keyblade in front of her and directed it at Aerith, slowly, a surge of energy began to concentrate on the tip and as she released it finally, it shrouded Aerith with a gentle yellowish white light, sending warmth into the hearts of every single person within the area, "EL CURATIVO SANTO!"

And as if answering her cry, the holy energy grew stronger and stronger until a huge force field was created around it, sending Rinoa flying into more buildings. Yet, Leon, Sora, Cid etc remained unaffected by the force. It was warm, it felt soothing, and it was relieving. Such is the power of Holy. The ability to heal any injury and side-effects (E.g. poison) with a mere beckoning of the element. A truly magnificent power.

Kairi slowly landed back on the ground with Aerith, whose wounds were healing at a fast rate, blood stains disappearing by the second, and slowly regaining consciousness. She glanced at Sora who was looking at her with a different type of emotion from before. It wasn't just happiness. It was pride. Kairi blushed.

And as Aerith slowly sat up, rubbing her forehead with her slender thumbs and slowly giving her the most radiant smile one could ever hope to find, the joy and delight she was feeling right now could not be described. She literally glowed at the sight of Sora's expression. His face showed that he was totally astounded by this move, pleasantly astounded of course. And that was definitely what made her feel warm in the heart again……Sora's acknowledgement means everything to her……

_El Curativo Santo……Looks like miracles do occur……

* * *

_

_**Well, well, well. You like it? I do. XD**_

_**I think most of you might have saw this coming, seeing how I repeatedly hinted you guys. And also, the theory about the elements, I seriously hope that you guys actually read it. It took me quite awhile to actually get it to make sense, well to me at least. LOL. Any questions you would like inquire regarding the elements, feel free to tell me about it in your reviews! **_

_**Remember! 100**__**th**__** reviewer gets an oneshot! Well, only if he/she wants one. Hehe. I know there is a lack of Riku and Nevaeh, or even Namine and Roxas for this matter, but really, it would be rather weird having all of them at the same place AT the same time, you know what I mean? But I promise, they're going to make an entrance pretty soon. Now, please make me a really happy author by REVIEWING! XD**_

**_And just to let you know, school starts next week, so if you're lucky, you might get another chapter just before next week ends. So I'll see how fast I should update depending on the reviews...not a threat to you guys, no...And yeah, once more, thanks to everyone who reviewed! Means so much to me! _**


	15. It Ends

_**A/N: Wow, thanks for all the reviews! Really appreciate it. And YES! By the end of this chap, I hope to achieve that 100 review goal. Thanks to all those that supported me. Lol, it's getting a little cliché. :D**_

_**Now, there is a problem. Update speed. I cannot guarantee you guys an update per week or anything like that. Mid-year exams coming up in 2 weeks for me, so you can't expect me to still laze around typing this up you know. At best, maybe once per 2 weeks. But after the exams, I will try and update faster. No guarantees though. **_

_**Well, that's all from me I guess. Here, I knew you guys waited for ages, so take this as a means of apologizing! XD And again, sorry for the super late update. **_

_**Disclaimer: You gay lawyers just don't give up. I stated a MILLION times, I DON'T own KH!!! But I do own Nevaeh! **__Talitha Koum glaring at me __**Er……maybe not…… **__Gets bashed by fans of Nevaeh __**Yeah…definitely not……ouch……

* * *

**_

Hold Me Tight, Don't Let Go

Chapter 15: It Ends

"How? Impossible!" Rinoa took a few steps back, her eyes widening in fear.

Kairi helped Aerith get up slowly and double-checked for any wounds or injuries she might have missed. Aerith smiled gently, "I'm fine." And she turned and looked at Leon. The expression on her face was filled with love and concern.

Leon placed his keyblades on the ground temporarily and pulled Aerith into a tight embrace. "Thank god that you're……oh Aerith…I'm so sorry……"

Aerith cried softly in his embrace. It felt too good to be true. Ah, but it was true. To every single woman alive, no matter how independent they claim to be, or how much they say that they do not need anyone to support them, they want to feel safe. However, that alone, is not enough. To be safe in the arms or the vicinity of the man that they love, is true safety.

The need to feel loved, the need to feel _needed_. We all survive for a purpose. The horror in knowing that you are not needed for anything at all is enough to make someone commit suicide. The pain of not having anyone to acknowledge you, the hurt of not having anyone to care for you, the ache of not being able to give any love away……it's just……too……much. There is only one possible way of not being able to give any love. That is when no one is on the receiving end of those love.

Maybe that's why; girls or women usually treasure their first love. It's the first time that the comfort, the reassurance, the love, the faith, the hope, the support, everything, is experienced, and it's special to each and every one of them. Just like Aerith and Kairi, who stayed true to their first love, never giving up hope that one day, their dream of being safe might come true.

For a girl or woman, whether they are good or bad, to think that their presence is a sin and therefore should not have any intimate relationships with the men they love; is crap. Rinoa knows this. How? Because Squall taught her so, three years ago.

To feel inferior or jealous of someone, surely everyone, despite the sex, MUST have experienced some point in your lifetime, yet, to some extent, most of these two feelings sprout from one of the most delicate emotions in the world. Love.

Rinoa had felt inferior because she was shunned in her childhood, being the 'sorceress child' had not earned her a great reputation. She was jealous of all the other girls who had boyfriends to care for them, to love them, while she was alone, all by herself. She was drowning in her own pool of despair when suddenly, someone saved her. That someone, was Squall.

He had been the number one rookie in the SeeD academy and while she was enrolled, all the girls were practically flocking to him every time he appeared. Yet, he chose her. He was a quiet person, secretive, never wanted to relay more information about himself to anyone else, intent on keeping his burden to himself, not wanting to provide trouble that may cause harm to his loved ones. Yet, he chose her.

But she failed him. She felt that she failed his love. Yes, it was out of jealousy that she killed Aerith. There was no denying it. She wanted to be the one in his arms right now. Not someone else. Yet, she knew that it was all her fault. If only she had been more careful that night, if only she had listened to him, if only they didn't argue………

But it was all too late. She was engulfed in the darkness. In a way, she felt it was adequate for her. She had totally forgotten all the soothing words and encouraging actions that Squall had shown her, and all she cared was power……power to destroy anything that gets in her way. She was furious at having been denied a proper chance of living. Just when she actually succeeded in finding someone to receive her love, she was killed.

That rage blinded her and therefore, led her to where she was now, a member of the Chasers, Cuatro of the Atacantes. Zell, too, she suspected, was probably too scared and angered to change his fate. He accepted darkness and ended up being the fifth Atacantes. Even though he claimed that the darkness helped him achieve his true potential, she could always see the hurt behind those eyes whenever the topic went to their friends.

How ironic. Before the mission, she was still chatting to Zell about how she would greet her friends again if she met them and how they would be surprised. And right after that, she got on this mission, 'killed' Aerith and fought against Squall without second thought. Zell was probably fighting against Tifa and Cloud and perhaps even experiencing the same feelings as her. _Looks like fate is against us……_

Rinoa bit her lips, her hands were trembling, her mind refused to acknowledge the fact that she was being outnumbered, and therefore, she attacked. She just wanted it all to end! Was it too much to ask?! Why the hell was everything against her?! Why were her memories all coming back to haunt her?! _Why is the darkness failing me?_

Sora was the first one to notice their danger and summoned his keyblade immediately, "Blade Beam!" Three vertical shockwaves, brimming with electricity, were sent at the projectiles. It successfully deflected the attacks and just like before, a further five smaller shockwaves were emitted due to the collisions and flew at an even faster speed at Rinoa.

Squall gritted his teeth as he stared at Aerith for a few moments before turning his head towards Rinoa. He saw the look on her face (As in Rinoa), and his heart felt something else……not really hurt……not really…love……it was……pity……Somehow, pity seemed to have bear more importance than love in his impression of Rinoa.

Why? Because Rinoa was currently attacking like a madwoman. No consideration was given to defense. It was clear what she was trying to do. His heart clenched again at the thought of being unable to save her. _I have to move on……_

And just as he was about to enter the battle once again, Aerith grabbed his hand and turned him around. Her beautiful emerald eyes met his dark onyx ones. At that moment, Squall felt something that he hadn't felt for a long time……relief. Not just any relief, more like a relief that includes joy, pride and love.

Now, many of you might be thinking what the heck do you mean by that? This feeling, that I'm describing right now, is when a man, can actually _feel_ his mate, partner, girlfriend, wife's concern for him, yet within that concern lies a certain layer of tranquility, a soothing sensation that clears all worries off his mind. The knowledge of knowing that she cares for him, she loves him and she is proud of him. Love really can do wonders, and Squall almost wanted to curse himself for being so blind all these years……

But then, he reminded himself that, no, he wasn't blind on purpose, he was mourning the death of his friends, and almost at certain points in his life, lost sight of his purpose. And now that he thought about it, it was always Aerith by his side whenever he felt depressed……

This time, he gave off a genuine smile that totally dazzled the crowd. He pulled her in for one more hug before whispering in her ears, "Don't worry, I'll finish this……I owe her that much……"

Aerith merely looked at him and smiled, before giving a slight nod. She knew what had to be done, and she too, wanted to free Rinoa from this curse. But the thing that made her practically glow with pride was that, Squall Leonhart, the man of her dreams, was back.

* * *

_**With Cloud and co……**_

"Zell, I'm going to say this one more time, give it up. Don't make me do this."

"Ha! You think I give a damn about you?! You gave in to the darkness! That's why Sephiroth was created! And my poor sis had to go half away across the whole universe just trying to save you! What gives you the right to talk like you're all great?! You have NOTHING!"

And with that, he charged, "Punch Rush!"

Cloud had expected that and blocked the attacks using his Buster Sword, his reflexes have increased greatly over the years, and after Tifa had offered to be his light, he had really given more thought on the subject, and of course, the matter, a.k.a trouble, at hand.

It had got him really doubting himself, as in how he was thinking. Due to his failure to protect Midgar before, he felt really helpless and on more than one occasion, it was this helplessness and fragility that actually caused Sephiroth to emerge. But now……_Tifa…_

He closed his eyes and slowly, a green glow began to appear in his eyes. And with that sudden boost of energy, he slammed the flat edge of his buster sword right into Zell's back and sent him flying backwards into another wall.

Tifa was rooted to the spot; she didn't know what to do. She couldn't bring herself to attack her brother, because in her memories, Zell would forever remain sweet sixteen, where he would be mischievous and playful, always eager to help and training as hard as he could so that he could help his sis. She couldn't bring herself to shatter that image. It was……too hard……

Zell got up quickly and yelled, "You cheat! Using Mako as a boost is just downright pathetic!" And he flash-stepped behind Cloud, ready to land his brass knuckles on Cloud's pale face, only to find them blocked once again, by his buster sword. He parried the attack successfully, and began to unleash his combos on Zell, refusing to let him have a moment's rest.

Zell, however, had it easy, considering how the time taken to wield a huge sword is much longer than the time taken to brandish his brass knuckles, and therefore, was holding out pretty well. He smirked, _He can't beat me. Hey look, sis seems out of it……let's make this fun!_

And with that, the same devil-like smirk returned to his face and Cloud immediately knew what was going to happen. Sure enough, Zell disappeared, yet Cloud was sure he went towards Tifa, and so, without a second thought, he activated his limit break, gaining the ability to levitate himself in air temporarily, and charged right behind Zell.

Zell appeared a few steps in front of Tifa and ran to charge momentum in his swing, "It's over sis. Volcanic Claw!" And his knuckles instantly molded themselves to form gloves with five thirty centimeter blades coming off each of them, and Tifa was sure that was going to be the final blow. The heat radiating off the claw was enough to melt diamonds.

She was completely dumbfounded. She somewhat expected this and yet……_I deserve this, don't I? Isn't it my fault that Zell died?_

And so she closed her eyes……

"GOTCHA!" And as red hot iron met tender flesh, blood exploded from the vessels and spilt onto the ground, sizzling all the while under the immense heat…………

* * *

_**Back with Leon and co……**_

The fight was on. Leon was really giving his all this time. He had no regrets with his life anymore. It was time to end this. Two years ago, he did not have the courage to do this; he didn't dare pursue any possibilities, due to the fact that it might lead him to extreme disappointment. But now……it was time.

Sora didn't even bother to stop Leon. He knew it, deep in his heart, he knew it. It was _his_ fight, _Leon's_ fight, and he would be damned if any dared to stop him. Sora's job was simple, find the keyhole, and seal it. And so, with a grin, he walked to the sidelines, where he stood by Kairi. Kairi didn't stop him, she knew why he did that, and she loved him for it. He was just so sweet……

Every single citizen currently watching the fight was beyond shocked. What the heck did they just witness? Let's recall. First, Leon, Cid and Aerith were fighting against two white-cloaked people. Then, one guy left. Then, Cid stopped. Then Leon fought Rinoa. Aerith got "killed", then got revived by this red-haired teenager, and her boyfriend just so happened to disappear to find some sort of keyhole……that's a lot to take in eh?

Leon was now fighting a true battle. One where he had nothing to lose. And it was here, where could finally attain his true limit and defeat Rinoa. True, his strength and skills might be a little less effective against Rinoa's black magic, but, this battle isn't based only on abilities. To believe, to have faith……isn't as simple as it sounds. Rinoa may be strong, but Leon currently has a power that Rinoa can never achieve. In fact, that's probably the most powerful weapon one could ever hope to attain.

_The power of your heart……it's always closer than you think……It might not seem too useful, but if you believe in it, believe in yourself, believe in your friends, believe in all those whom you care for……That is when the power shall truly surface……_

Leon understands that fact. How? Because he experienced it himself. He witnessed the keyblade master seal every single keyhole, annihilate Organization XIII, saved Riku from the darkness, protected Kairi with everything he's got, and last but not least, never ever neglected a friend……

_Always have faith in yourself, and most important of all…never forget! _Leon couldn't help but smirk. A teenager who shouldn't have to worry about anything other than study and have fun, was chosen by the keyblade and forced to save the worlds constantly. Yet, not once, did he see the brunet give up, no matter how great the challenge, no matter how great the odds are against him, he never gave up. Why? Because he never forgets.

He never forgets that he is the hope of all these people, everyone in the worlds depend on him. Even though this job sucks, and you don't get paid, and you never really get to enjoy a holiday, but, really, at the end of the day, the smiles from the people, the care from your friends, the concern from your love, and the peace obtained in return……anything is worth it!

Leon finally understood why he wasn't chosen, why Sora was the designated one. That boy had a heart, a real heart. Not just a shell, but what's within, the true essence of light. Leon must win this fight. He cannot and will not let Sora down. Sora trusted him, therefore respected his rights and let him fight one on one.

Besides, he promised Rinoa when he first knew she was a sorceress, "Don't worry, even if you really do become evil……the least I can do……is to make sure that I shall be the one to kill you." Those were the first words that he told Rinoa when she mentioned her doubts of dating Leon. Yet, it was because of these words, that Rinoa actually decided to test her luck, and it brought her desirable results, for she finally got what every woman longed for. Safety.

The familiar expression appeared back in his eyes……those were the days where bliss could not be described. No matter what anyone has to say about relationships……true young love……shall always be the purest within your memories……all the hardships that you experience to obtain that first ever love……shall always be your most precious treasure!

Rinoa knows this, Leon knows this……yet why do they fight?

Are they in pain? Yes they are.

How so? Look at their eyes.

Tears? Filled with regret, hate, vulnerability.

Lips? Trembling due to fear, not of death, but of the inevitable showdown.

Why? Because they loved each other.

Loved? Because they no longer can.

Why do they fight? _Because it's time to end this!

* * *

_

_**Back to Tifa and co……**_

"Hmph, must you always try these useless acts to make you seem superior?" Zell grunted as he retracted his fist from the blonde's shoulder.

Tifa slowly opened her eyes, _Oh my god……_

Cloud gritted his teeth as he tried his best in restraining himself from crying out in pain. No way was he going to give him that satisfaction of knowing that he was hurt. _No damn way_.

"Cloud!" Tifa gasped in horror, as she saw the gash. It was huge, and blood continued to flow, showing no signs of clotting or stopping.

Cloud ignored his wound, or tried to, and said, "Zell, you've crossed the line! She's your sister!"

Zell merely shrugged, "Meh, she has to die sometime, why not now? She can think of it as doing me a favour, I'm sure she won't mind."

Tifa couldn't believe it. Zell actually thought that he could control her life. He tried to take hers mere moments ago, and if it had not been for Cloud, her corpse would be the only thing decorating the ground. _This isn't Zell……_

Cloud growled, "Don't you even have a small bit of humanity left within you? This is TIFA! Get that through your damn thick skull bastard!"

Zell's expression changed slightly, "Yes, I know. She is Tifa, the one who always told me to train less, the one who always felt that I'll never grow up, and the one that feels she's better than me!" And once again, he charged, anger and hate fuelling his power and in a blur, he dashed past Cloud.

Cloud grimaced as he tried to move, the pain was still there. But now wasn't the time for healing. "Tifa!"

**SMASH!**

Zell's eyes widened, "No way."

Tifa was standing there, perfectly upright, holding off the devastating attack that almost killed Cloud. The look in her eyes was………scary, to put it simply. It wasn't just rage…it felt like despise, yet not really.

"Zell would never say that!" Tifa whispered as she locked eyes with the chaser.

Her tone hardened, "Who are you?!" And bashed her fist right into the chaser's face, shattering a few bones and sending the guy flying back.

She glared at the chaser with a sudden hostility, only shown to those that have deeply hurt her loved ones……It somehow felt like the devil might have been a female after all……you get the picture.

Cloud frowned for awhile, thinking about Tifa's words, before realization suddenly dawned on him and a grin began to form on his face, _Showtime. _

The chaser growled and got up slowly, yet all the time, slabs of skin were being destroyed off his face and his voice began to change as well, "Ha, ha, can't believe you actually noticed it……I thought I was pretty good too……but apparently…" He slowly ripped off his face, "NOT GOOD ENOUGH!" And a huge surge of power exploded from his body, and a maniacal smirk began to form.

His face…no, his head was a horrendous sight to behold, for instead of a normal face……the thing in its place was a capsule filled with two eyes, a nose, ears, mouth and a brain, floating around in some sort of liquid……And just by looking at him, everyone else felt like puking right there.

But Cloud and Tifa didn't, because they were expecting something like this. Tifa snarled, "Who are you?! Why can you imitate Zell?"

The chaser smirked once more, "Ah, that. Nothing much, just because I ate his soul."

Tifa's eyes widened, "……What?" She won't believe it. Cloud's grip on his blade tightened, itching to slice the bastard into tiny little pieces for the shit that he put them through. Now, he tells them that he ate Zell's _soul_……he just got himself a one-way ticket to hell……Cloud would make sure he gets it at full price……

"Now, let me reintroduce myself, I am Quinto (fifth) of the Atacantes. Nickname's Ladro Di Anima. Specialty? Consuming souls of the dead and gaining their power, just like what I did to your little brother, oooh he tasted sooooo good……"

Tifa's whole world just shattered. This……this filth…ate…her brother's……soul……

"Oh yes, there's no way you can beat me. Look at you, scared like a baby, and that blond guy, with a huge whole in his chest. What can you do to me? Huh? NOTHING. And if I have to, I'll just use another soul. There's NO way you can win!" And with that, he burst out laughing.

Cloud was barely restraining himself from ripping that "little piece of shit" into shreds. Oh no, he would not be the only one to do it. He was waiting for her. For her to come to a decision. He drank a potion and attempted to stop the blood flow, before stepping beside Tifa.

She looked at him, and her eyes said everything. Cloud nodded, not needing an explanation, his buster sword, ready for action. And in unison, both charged.

"Ha! SO you've fought me for so long and still you understand nothing? Bring it you maggots!" yelled the monster as he braced himself.

Cloud's eyes began to glow that familiar green again and in an instant, he disappeared, only to appear right behind him, "This is a little something I picked up." And using the back of his sword, he smashed the chaser into Tifa, who readied her fists, "This…is for ZELL! Beat Rush!"

**WHAM!** The chaser was sent flying back towards Cloud who caught him in an uppercut and began an air combo, before blasting him off with that green energy emitted off his blade. Tifa leapt into the air and shouted, "Dolphin Blow!" And another uppercut was administered, only much more painful.

Cloud then readied his move, he split up the blades within his buster sword and carried two in each hand, "This is the end. Omnislash!" And dashing at the falling chaser, he flung slices at the speed of light, completely engulfing him, and instantly, a mini-hurricane began to form. It was sucking the chaser in, constantly barraging him with wind pressure and slashes, and finally, Cloud ended by combining all four swords back into his buster sword and **BLAST!** The chaser was sent upwards for one last time.

For right then, Tifa had all the preparation time she needed, there were tears in her eyes as she steadied her body, ready for the final blow, "Zell, this was…your favorite combo…we shall end it together! METEOR RAVE!" And charging down, she drove her flaming fists right into the chaser's body, and grabbed him around the waist, and as one, they charged for the ground, with Tifa's aura growing bigger all the while. It grew till both of them were covered in flames, and **SMASH!**

The chaser was launched right into the ground, creating a huge explosion and a twenty-metre wide crater. His body was incinerated, and his capsule was leaking. The eyes, nose etc were all destroyed, only the mouth and a part of the brain could be seen as only three words came out of it before they exploded as well, "No bloody way……" And **BOOM!** He went up in a ball of flames, his own existence erased.

Tifa landed gracefully into Cloud's arms, hugging him to her as tight as she could. Cloud gently stroked her face as he watched the tears drip slowly.

"Cloud……" Her voice was shivering.

"I know." He answered as he closed his eyes.

"I'm so sorry……" Her heart was bursting from grief……

"Tifa. Don't be." Cloud lifted her chin and stared straight into her eyes.

"Why?" was all she could say as she slowly felt herself calm down just by gazing into those beautiful green eyes.

"Because it's not your fault." And he kissed her.

No one had any idea how much they both needed that. The nightmare was finally over.

* * *

_**With Leon and co……**_

Everyone can tell that the fight was getting to an end. Both had given it their all. They were just like a pair of peacocks, their tails have now opened up totally, it was a magnificent sight……_ It was enough…it was enough……_

Leon and Rinoa both stopped suddenly. They faced one another, expressionless, as they both sheathed their weapons. Leon closed his eyes, and summoned all the energy he could muster. He then brandished his gunblade Revolver and transferred the energy onto it, giving it a golden gleam. Rinoa called forth the death element and engraved it within all her projectiles, ready for the final attack. The purplish black goo that was oozing from them was enough to destroy a normal being with one drop.

All the citizens were silent, especially Aerith and Kairi, who knew how important this strike was. It wasn't only going to determine Rinoa's fate; this would determine Leon's as well. To stay immersed within a fruitless past…or to get back on your feet and welcome the incoming future……

Both had no regrets. And all of a sudden, they charged. No words could adequately describe the tension that filled the air, the fear of losing another friend, the awe of the power displayed, the pity for the fate that was bestowed upon them……

The two powers clashed, gold against black. Gunblade against Blaster Edge. Good against evil. Who won?

Leon did. He forced an opening through the power and slashed Rinoa right across the chest. In an instant, the energies dissipated, leaving the area as it was before…peaceful……calm.

And the next they knew, Rinoa was smiling at Leon, and falling, face upwards, towards the ground.

Leon threw away his gunblade and dashed towards her. _Not yet! _

She seemed so far away, yet so near at the same time……he grabbed her in one swift motion and stared into her lifeless eyes. He stroked her face and returned her smile. A hollow, bitter smile. Why did it all have to end like this?

Rinoa coughed up some blood, and looked right into those eyes. Oh how she dreamt of being able to just gaze into them all day long……now, she would never get the chance again.

She struggled to hold him, to touch him, to say sorry for all the stupid things she did to him, _for everything……_ She cupped her hands around his face and as tears began to flow, "I…I…I'm……"

Leon shook his head gently and hugged her. As tight as he could. Even though he knew he was going to lose her. Sometimes, it really doesn't pay to stay in reality.

Rinoa hugged him back, eyes closed, tears falling freely now, before suddenly opening them, and cupped his face once more, "Let me look at you one last time." And as her hands roamed around his face, as her gaze lingered on his special features, especially that scar……she couldn't help it……

"Oh why?! Why must it be like this?! Oh Squall!"

And she fell into his embrace once more. Tears can no longer do justice to what she's feeling right now. Nothing can.

Rinoa slowly lifted her head, "Squall……I loved you……and I shall always do……no matter where you are……I shall always be with you……" And she coughed up more blood, her eyes losing life fast.

Leon cried as he cradled her head, "Rinoa……I love you. Always."

Her pale face finally broke into a smile, "Thank you……Squall……my one……and only……love…………"

And with that, the remaining bit of life was drained out of her. Her hands still felt warm, but her hearts were gone. She was dead. Yet, he refused to let go. He didn't want to let go. Deep in his heart, Rinoa shall always be the cheerful girl that lit up his day……his first love……

"RINOA!"

* * *

_**Whoa! Phew! Was that hard to write! It was SOOO difficult trying to get the emotions right. I hope this chapter would be enough to make up for my late update. I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Well, enjoy might not be the right word. **_

_**I hope the fluff turned out okay……give me your thoughts on it! Review! Or flame if you absolutely have to. I know action was pretty boring maybe…um……may be losing my touch……ah well, exams come first, so next update may be really slow. I'll try my best. **_

_**Also, the 100**__**th**__** reviewer shall get a PM from me, and as agreed, you shall get a oneshot from me as a present. XD**_

_**Well, that's that. See ya! **_


	16. Promise

_**A/N: Hey! What's with the decreasing reviews?! No fair! Just because I did not update for these 3 weeks doesn't mean you guys should punish me like this! My morale! NOOOOO!!! Erhem……er…yeah. Right. **_

_**Anyways, the Oneshot for Oathkeepera has been posted. It's called "Fireworks". It's Axel x Larxene. I would appreciate it if you guys at least check it out. And come on! More support plz! 150**__**th**__** reviewer gets another oneshot! Now that my exams have finally finished, I can update faster! Maybe once a week if I feel like it. But usually, around one and half week, two would be the maximum. **_

_**Oh and if you're sad that I killed Rinoa off, well, too bad. She had to go. I can't just make her kill Aerith, then become all happy-go-lucky and say, "Hey guys! Let's fight together!" Hell no. People seemed to think Demyx ruled. Hehe. You guys ain't seen nothing yet. Well, guess that's all for now. Chapter 16 coming up. Enjoy! XD**_

_**I talk too much crap. I know. **_

**_Disclaimer: You guys know the drill. In case some don't, the answer is NO, I do NOT own KH or Nevaeh. Maybe in my next life I will. But then, KHXX may have come out by then, and Nevaeh the twenty third may have been born, hmm, tough case..._**

* * *

Hold Me Tight, Don't Let Go

Chapter 16: Promises

"Hey, how's training going?"

"Pretty good. Heaven's getting so much better. Honestly, she can totally waste Riku now…if Riku let her……"

"Well, I'm really glad all this crap is over. I really, really never want to see Le...Squall go through all that again. Man, he looked so down. Guess it can't be helped."

"At least, we eliminated more chasers. That's gotta be a bonus."

"Speaking of Chasers, you guys best be careful. I have a bad feeling about this. You sure it's wise for Xemnas to leave only the six of you at the Castle that never was? I know you guys are good, but……"

"Hey, hey! How dare you underestimate us! Just because you got to seal an extra keyhole doesn't make your skills any better than mine!"

"I know, I know. Oh crap! Time to go. I promised Kairi. See ya."

"What the?! OI!"

_Conversation disconnected. _

Roxas grudgingly switched off the screen as he grumbled about annoying Keyblade Masters getting all the action. True, he did train hard with Namine, Riku and Nevaeh. But it just wasn't the same as fighting for real. The excitement, tension, _joy_……ok, maybe getting a little carried away, but hey, it was true……in a way.

The door opened to reveal a stunning teenage girl with silky blonde hair, dressed in her nightgown, rubbing her eyes sleepily, "Roxas?"

"Yeah Namine?"

"Come on, it's LATE. Get to bed right now! I'm locking the communications room."

"Aww……just one more call……please……just one..."

Namine shook her head slightly as she grabbed Roxas by the shoulders and pushed him out of the room, "You've been in here for TWO hours. I think that's enough. I'm locking it whether you like it or not."

And with that, she closed the door behind her. She locked it with a swish of her keyblade and grinned at the sight before her. A pouting Roxie. Oooh joy! That was easy, she had a counter. Lo and behold the mighty…puppy eyes!

Roxas cringed upon seeing that. God, you have no idea how devastating that attack is. He hated her when she used this. He always lost. No fair. So obviously, since he was not able to resist the magnificent charm administered by the Memory Witch, he drooped his shoulders and returned to his room, sighing all the way.

Namine giggled. Roxas was just sooooo fun to tease! Hmm, maybe, "Oh Roxie! Let's play a game of chess before we sleep!"

Roxas' jaw just smashed through the ground. Oh no, hell no, PLEASE NO! He gulped as the power puppy eyes flashed once more. What's the point of playing if she knows how to counter your every move?! But Roxas knows Namine. If she wants to do something, like REALLY do something……she can be very persuasive.

Namine latched herself onto Roxas, "Oh come on! Just one game! It'll be quick! Besides, you look like your brain needs some exercise. Don't want you to become all dumb now do we?"

If it weren't for the fact that she was his girlfriend and had the right to make fun of him……okay, that does it. The next heartless he sees is going to be _DEAD_.

He sighed once more, before allowing himself to be dragged to Namine's room for the devastating game……of mobile chess……

* * *

_**In Midgar……**_

Sora slowly walked through Midgar City, taking in the surroundings. It was only a week since Leon, no, Squall defeated Rinoa. Cloud and Tifa, along with an exhausted Demyx came along and mentioned ever so sweetly that the fifth Atacantes was obliterated as well.

Leon had decided to change back to his original name, seeing how he wants to accept his past and be ready for the future. Cloud and Tifa began helping along with the SeeD members, trying to get the city back into its original form, and it wasn't long before they succeeded. The citizens were overjoyed to see their celebrities back. Squall went to see his dad, Laguna, and tried to explain the current situation to him. But of course, his dad already knew.

They were currently leaving in the Prime Minister's Guest Suite. How come? Because Laguna was the prime minister. Squall's mother Raine had treated them like her own children and it really felt warm. Sora sighed,_ Mum……_

His last visit to Destiny Islands was cut short and once again, he failed to mention anything to his mother. He felt horrible for always doing this, but alas, it can't be helped. His dad died years ago, killed in a car accident. And since then, his mother and him were on their own.

Even though she kept saying it was fine, he knew that she felt lonely and he hated himself for not being there for her. But what could he do? He was the Keyblade Master. Supposed saviour of the universe. _Wonderful._

He sighed and soon, he reached the small tropical beach located on the outskirts of Midgar. The ocean sparkled under the glowing sunset. It was a magnificent sight to behold. Sora looked around, "Hm, not here yet…"

And with that, he found a comfortable sport and lacing his hands behind his head, he lay down, enjoying the cool breeze whilst reminiscing the old times……

He used to be so carefree, now he had to be really cautious, because each step he makes can cause different events to occur. His life was constantly in danger as well. When he was young, his life was pretty simple. Eat, sleep, play with Mom, play with Riku, then go find Kairi, play with Kairi, study for two minutes, eat, play again, sleep etc……

There were times when he was on a mission, exhausted, hurt, whatever. And he would keep asking himself whether it was worth it……whether giving his life to save all the worlds out there…was really worth it. And really, it was because of his mum, Kairi and Riku that really gave him the answer. Yes, it was.

He wanted to protect his friends and families. In order to do that, he would have to endure all these. Besides, the adventures _were_ pretty fun. You can't deny that. And now that Riku was back on track with a new partner, Roxas and Namine back with full power, and Kairi by his side, he finds himself caring less and less and focusing more on the matters before him.

He slowly closed his eyes and just stopped his brain from doing any thinking. _Rest……_

He really was exhausted. Finding that keyhole proved to be no easy task. First, he had to take care of two battalions of heartless, next he climbed seventy floors of that stupid building called Shinra company or something to find eight stupid artifacts, placed them in random places, then, oh lo and behold, the keyhole appeared……on the other side of the fifty kilometer wide city……Yay, brilliant, NOT.

So in the end, he dashed at top speed and sealed the keyhole in time to prevent any more heartless from coming through. And so, he concludes, mission complete, right? No. Heartless IN the city continued to prove that they are complete jackasses and continued to demolish the city. So again, Sora and co had to defeat at least one thousand more heartless before they are done. If this is what happens with only _two_ Atacantes, well, he's not really sure he wants to know what will happen with the Defensores. Unpleasant……

He then tried imagining how he would die……hmm……well, best way would be to live a long life, then died of old age. Then, he could always die because a heartless got him in the chest……or leg…arm…head……or the heartless could engulf him alive……or rip him apart……or Thundaga him like crazy……or poison him……or make him suffer one hundred times gravity……or just get a Large Body and squish him to death………urgh……okay…enough……

* * *

_**With Roxas……**_

_This……isn't fun at all……_ Roxas twitched.

Watching his pieces get owned……really isn't nice……

See, the problem with playing chess with Namine, is that she can animate the pieces……meaning that the pieces can actually move by themselves and when a piece is taken……yeah……it's…kinda unique.

Namine had taken extra care in…demolishing his queen. And it's gonna be checkmate in three……why the heck did he agree to playing this game?

But then, he felt something that seemed distant for so long. He was doubting himself once more. What is the correct course of action? Was this, really for the greater good? Why was he feeling so unsure again? It's……weird……The warmth, the coziness, everything, it seems so far away……

Namine looked at him, worried, "Roxas? What's wrong?"

Roxas merely stared at her, before suddenly grinning, "It's nostalgic……I guess." And with that, he blacked out……

* * *

_**With Sora……**_

Honestly, he had no idea what was going on with him nowadays. Where was the happy-go-lucky attitude when you need it? He sighed, _Troublesome……_

Why was he feeling this way? What's with all the melancholy all of a sudden? In reality, he……really can't tell……Why? Why is all this happening to him? Everything…it's weird. This was how he felt before he had been told of all these heartless stuff. It was like then, where he experienced something that he had never even thought about before.

All of sudden, he felt sleepy. Somehow, everything doesn't seem real……something's calling him……something that he felt was within reach, yet……he just couldn't remember……

He stared at the sunset, _why…does this feel like…I've seen this scene before?_

And with that, he fell asleep.

* * *

_**In the darkness……**_

_I had a dream……a dream with the person I care about most beside me……_

Sora slowly opened his eyes, taking in the surrounding as he got up, wondering where on earth he was……

_A dream…where she told me…many stories……_

Roxas got up and tried to think of any place that remotely looked like this……

_Stories like how two children got to know each other by fate and grew up to be best friends……_

Sora scratched his head and looked around. This feels really nostalgic.

_Stories like how friendship can overcome reality……_

Roxas placed a hand on his chin, trying to think up a normal solution.

_Stories like how two children used to have such ridiculous dreams……_

Sora's eyes lit up. He suddenly felt a sense of longing.

_Stories like how two children decided to overcome any odds placed their way……_

Roxas' head shot up, the voice…it's calling for him.

_Stories like how the boy would protect her at all costs……_

Sora began to walk towards that direction.

_From anything that wants to harm her……_

Roxas began to pick up his pace.

_From anyone that might mistreat her……_

Sora started running, he could feel it.

_Stories of how they felt everyday was guaranteed……_

Roxas gritted his teeth and dashed with all his might.

_Stories of how the same dream occurred over and over again……_

Sora was going on a full sprint now, running into the endless darkness.

_Stories of how……memories are forgotten……_

Roxas gasped as he saw someone running towards him.

_Yet…in the end……memories are revived……_

Sora stopped right in front of Roxas, panting and gasping for breath.

_Stories pure like the snow that befalls during winter……_

Roxas stared at his other in shock.

_Stories……that contain promises……_

Sora's eyes widened, his mind working at speeds he deemed impossible just to find a clue as to why he would meet his nobody here.

_Stories……that mean everything in the world……_

They stared at each other, nothing coming to their minds, blank.

_Stories……created by you……_

And suddenly, their mind was filled with memories. Memories of them and someone they didn't know. They seemed so familiar, yet, who are they?

Sora tried his best to remember who the red-haired girl in his memory was, yet nothing came to mind.

Roxas was finding it impossible to remember the name of the blonde-haired girl in his memory.

They both knew who the girls were……yet in a way…they didn't. So familiar. Their face seemed blurry, and their voices can't be heard. Yet, it all seemed so close. So close to heart.

They couldn't do anything. Both of them were stunned, rooted to the spot. They had totally forgotten who they were. Why? Why are they here? What is going on? Their memories, their precious memories……what…why?

"_Sora…don't ev-"_

Huh? What the……

"_I always thought that nobodies were doom-"_

Was that?

"_You're ba-"_

Wait……

"_Then, we can be toge-"_

That's……

"_Don't ever le-"_

No. What is it?

"_You're hom-"_

I want to know the whole thing……

"_Never forge-"_

Those voices……

"_Sora……"_

Why? Why do they sound so familiar?

"_Roxas……"_

Why?! What's going on?!

"_Don't give up."_

Why can't I remember?!

_**Do you really care so much?**_

Sora whisked around, "Who's there?!"

Roxas yelled, "What did you do to us?!"

_**Nothing. You came here on your own free will. I am merely acting as a judge. **_

"What…what do you mean?" Sora whispered.

_**What is it that you're living for? Who is it that you're living for? Have you even thought about it?**_

Sora was totally lost. His brain just ceased to function.

Roxas was just as dazed.

_**Is it for yourself? Or your loved ones? Are you so weak as to not remember the one person that you care about the most?**_

"NO!" Both yelled at the same time. "Stop! Why…what in the world is going on here?! Why…why can't I remember anything? Her voice, it's so near, but I just……argh! Why can't I remember?!"

_**As expected. You're weak. Forgetting your own promises? The ones that you swore you would remember?**_

Sora stared wide-eyed into the darkness. Nothing. His mind registered nothing. He couldn't think straight.

Roxas clutched his head, trying to get some way to remember anything, anything at all.

_**How could you?**_

Tears began to fall from their faces. The emotions within their memories, the sad smiles, everything……they are breaking down……they are fading……

_**So what would you do? Fight for yourself? Rely solely on your own power? **_

All Sora could see was the red-haired girl waving at him, slowly fading away, that smile, ever so bright, too, was disappearing. Why? Why did it feel like his heart was breaking? Why, why did he feel like he was losing something important in his life?

_**If that's what you want, I can straight away guarantee you all the power in the world. **_

Roxas saw the blonde-haired girl standing with her hands behind her back, smiling ever so gently back at him, giving him a small wave, before walking away from him……fading into the distance……

_**All that you need to give me……are the memories of your most loved one!**_

"NEVER!"

"DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!"

The looks on their faces said it all. They were furious.

_**Oh? I thought power was everything to you. Aren't memories just a tiny sacrifice? Surely……**_

"SHUT UP! You don't know ANYTHING!" Sora yelled, his fists clenched.

"Nothing is worth our memories. Nothing is worth our dreams." Roxas glared, flames burning in his eyes.

_**But surely you've noticed the change in you. I saw how both of you fought for yourselves, I can help you further. It isn't too big a price.**_

In a flash, two keyblades appeared right in their hands, as they got into their offensive postures. Their face set with determination.

"You're wrong. We do not fight for only ourselves."

"We fight, not to attack, not to destroy……"

"We fight, to PROTECT!"

And with a burst of energy, the darkness faded somewhat. The voice seemed amused.

_**Oh? But what can you do? I still have your memories. Would you still fight for someone you can't remember?**_

"No. We can remember. Even if their faces do seem blurry, even if their voices do seem out of tune."

"They are within our souls. I can feel it. It's a promise of a lifetime. I know it."

"_It's really you." "I've finally found you!" "Maybe, starting a new journey may not be so hard…or maybe it's already begun." "You're back." "Ha! You're home!" _

Sora gave a small smile as those same words came back to his mind.

"_I've always thought, nobodies were doomed to fade into darkness." "Then we can be together again!" "I did, didn't I? It's strange." "We meet again." _

Roxas grinned as slowly, but surely, the memories began to piece themselves back together.

"_Sora, don't ever change." _

"KAIRI!"

"_Roxas, never give up." _

"NAMINE!"

And with a huge burst of power, they dispelled any darkness around them and stood back to back, ready for any challenge that might appear.

_**So it seems, you've finally found true power. Well done. But remember this. The more you believe, the more you can achieve. Being alone…achieves nothing.**_

Sora stood bewildered at those words. "What…?"

_**Don't forget that there are people who care about you. You're not alone. There is no need to burden yourself with everything you do. Trust them, and in return, gain their trust to strengthen your bonds. Never forget. **_

Roxas tilted his head, trying to understand what's going on.

_**It ends………you've done well. The link is now forged. It seems that the keyblade never lies……hahahaha……**_

And with that, the voice stopped. Disappeared more like. Sora looked at Roxas and grinned, "Any idea what we've just been through?"

Roxas snorted, "Not a clue."

Normally, people would have been terrified by this ordeal, yet for some strange reason, they seem to feel at ease. Indeed, it seems as though a bond is activated between them.

Just then, two faint voices began calling out, _Sora, wake up! Sora? _And _Roxas! Are you okay? Roxas, don't scare me!_

They both looked at one another, and smiled. "Well, I guess this is the first time, that I really, really considered having you, not just as an other, but a brother……a real benefit. And the keyblade too. It is no longer just a tool."

"Ah, it is now a link, special and unique to us. It brought us together. Thank you, Roxas."

"No, thank you Sora, for acknowledging me."

"I guess. But really, right now, I think we both know where our thanks should go."

"Indeed. Let's hurry. Well then. See ya soon." And with a smirk, Roxas faded in specks of gold and finally disappeared.

Sora sighed and stared at his keyblade. "I think I know who that was. Thanks. Well then, I have to go as well." And with some concentration, he too, faded away, leaving the scene.

* * *

_**With Roxas…**_

"Roxas! Roxas! Are you okay? You just fell all of a sudde-hmph……" Roxas silenced her with a direct kiss on the lips. He kissed her with such passion unrivalled by any of his previous attempts.

He stopped the kiss halfway, and looked Namine in the eyes……"Namine……"

* * *

_**With Sora……**_

"Wake up you lazy bum. Do you know how worried I was, seeing you just lying there, unconscious?" Kairi pouted.

Sora didn't reply. He merely caressed her cheeks gently and stared lovingly into those cerulean orbs, before planting a soft kiss on her lips, "Kairi……"

* * *

_**At the same time……**_

"I will always love you, forever." Both grinned. "It's the promise of a lifetime!"

Three words to express how you feel.

Three words to show how much you care.

Three words that are spoken every day.

Three words that can mean everything in the world.

But now, these three words hold more meaning than ever. And as they grinned at the blushing faces of the girls they love, they understood the voice. So that's how it is. They knew it. This was the beginning of a new era. They can feel it. The Chasers, heartless, whatever. As long as they were by their side. Nothing seems scary anymore. That is one promise, that they both intend to keep……forever.

* * *

_**Disney Castle……**_

Mickey grinned as he placed his crystal ball back onto the shelf, and turned around to face Xemnas, who too, had an amused look on his face, "Now, would you like to believe?"

Xemnas chuckled, "Indeed, it would seem that their faith and feelings are truly strong. I guess, I can place my bet on them one more time."

Mickey laughed, "To think they could pass the test. They certainly created a new record."

Xemnas gave a rare smile, "Indeed. An ever lasting bond between a somebody and a nobody, created due to their love for their friends……amazing."

* * *

_**Once again, I apologize for the late update! This may seem like a filler chapter. But trust me, I tried my best in making this seem appropriate. I took a different point of view on life and wrote the second half of this chapter. Please tell me how it sounded. I hope the dream thing was sensible. It was an experiment, to see how my ideas are coming. So you guys, please REVIEW! XD**_


	17. Paramina

_**A/N: I'm SOOOOO sorry for the late update. I experienced a HUGE writer's block. I simply could not think of a way to continue this story. So if this chapter is not up to standard, I apologize. I'm pretty unsure of myself here, whether as to add new stuff or stick to the good old events. But meh, might as well push my luck. Thanks to all those that reviewed once again! XD**_

**_Disclaimer: I hate repeating myself. Check previous versions of disclaimers if you really want one. _**

* * *

Hold Me Tight, Don't Let Go

Chapter 17: Paramina

A week has passed since their stay in Midgar. After their surprising encounter with god knows what, they found that whatever training they did, they could achieve it within half the amount of time that they needed to before. What's more amazing, is that whatever Sora learns, Roxas got an idea of it within the next second and therefore, saved him the learning time and vice versa.

Riku and Nevaeh have finally agreed to pair up and go to a new world that was recently discovered. They had no idea why it just popped up all of a sudden, but surely, there's got to be something amiss for it to appear right within the range of the Castle's sensors.

Namine and Kairi have mastered everything that Merlin taught and now, it's just up to them to refine their own attacks and come up with new ones. Sora and Roxas couldn't have been more proud, because it isn't everyday that your girlfriend has the ability to heal you in a second.

Axel and Larxene are currently situated in Midgar alongside Cloud and the others temporarily, whereas Leon, Aerith, Sora, Roxas, Kairi and Namine travel back to Radiant Garden, waiting for news of Riku and Nevaeh. And of course, speaking of our favorite (to some of you) couple, another round of quarrelling is already underway on the beloved airship Highwind.

"I told you, it wasn't my idea!"

"LIAR! I saw you nod Mr. Riku!"

"Grrr…that nod was for agreeing to work with you! And now I'm regretting it."

"Being rude isn't very nice Mr. Riku!"

"Right back at ya."

"OH! You…now I see what your little scheme is Mr. Riku!"

"Huh?"

"You purposely suggested we travel together to this world with FREEZING temperature. Once we arrive, you intend to see me shiver in cold and laugh at me right?! AH ha! I see through your plans! They're not going to work!"

"…………"

"See! Mr. Riku! You remain silent! Proving me right! Admit it!"

"…………You never cease to amaze me Heaven……"

"Why thank you Mr. Riku……"

"As to how dumb you can get after each assumption you make……"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Dragon Fang appeared in her hand.

"And how your hearing deteriorates after listening to me kindly explain to you that you got it all wrong……" Way to the Dawn ready just in case.

In a flash, Nevaeh sliced at Riku, only to have it blocked, yet, it was as if she expected this and flash-stepped behind Riku, placing her blade over Riku's neck, whispering into his ear, "Slander isn't the way to make friends Mr. Riku."

Riku growled and elbowed Nevaeh into the wall, before placing a hold on her, forcing his body onto hers, preventing her from moving, then sneered, "Neither is violence Heaven, oh I forgot, do you know what violence is?"

Nevaeh gasped in anger and slammed the back of her keyblade onto Riku's waist and pushed him onto the ground, straddling him, preventing movement from his limbs, keyblade directed at his neck, cooing, "Oh I sure do, Mr. Riku. And it seems that I have the upper hand."

Riku smirked and moved the only part of his body that wasn't restricted…...his head. That's right, he did something Nevaeh would never expect, or so he thought. His head met with hers as both of them clashed their heads together, both flying to different ends of the room.

All was silent in the training grounds. Not a sound. And then……

"YOU'RE GOING DOWN!"

"BRING IT THEN!"

And once again, training ensues. Very eventful indeed.

* * *

_**Back at Radiant Garden……**_

"I'm NOT going to do this any longer! It's driving me NUTS!!!"

"Oh come on Sora, stop being such a crybaby. All you need to put down is a yes or no. See, Roxas is doing it as well."

Sora twisted his head around at the speed of light, and sure enough, there was Roxas, in the exact same position as him, twitching every now and then as Namine continued to "encourage" him to work harder……more like threatening……but meh, details, who needs them? Apparently those two poor boys are in desperate need.

Sora stared at Kairi, yes as wide as a plate, "Kairi, what time of the year is this?"

Kairi raised an eyebrow, confused, "Erm……like June?"

"And usually, what do we do in June if we're back in Destiny Islands?"

"Well, it's the school holidays so……"

"EXACTLY!"

"Sora, there's no such thing as a holiday for heroes that save the world. Now run along and finish those stuff."

"It's PAPERWORK! No one should be cursed to do those in the holidays!"

Kairi sighed in exasperation, "Sora, you were the one that said, 'all you need to put down on those sheets are a yes or no. How hard can that be?' So don't go blaming others."

Sora sighed, "Alright, alright. But at least accompany me for a few minutes? I get real bored at doing those stuff. Please?"

Kairi giggled, "Sure, I'll be happy to baby-sit you Sora."

Sora twitched, "What was that?"

"I would _love_ to pat your head and praise you for doing a good job."

"Kairi……" growled Sora.

"Hehe, oh, and I might even coo at you to make you stop your pouting!"

"Grrrr…Fine! Be that way! Hmph!" And off he stomped.

Kairi laughed and went over to see how Namine was doing. Apparently, Roxas was a lot more "cooperative" after Namine's successful "persuasion". They were now arguing over why he too had to do the paperwork when clearly, only Sora volunteered.

Aerith giggled at the childish behaviour of the four young teenagers. She quietly opened the door and left to find Leon. She smiled to herself.

* * *

_**Back with Riku and Nevaeh……**_

After around an hour of trying to kill each other, finally, they decided to walk calmly back to their rooms, slam their doors, take a nice, long cool bath.

But apparently, that was too much to ask for, because the emergency alarm sounded, and that means, Highwind is under attack. Nothing much to say other than the fact that heartless are pretty stupid to attack at this time.

Obviously they got obliterated in a flash by Riku and Nevaeh, but of course, that didn't help enlighten the moody atmosphere at all. Riku had no idea what he was thinking when he actually accepted to work with this little devil. She was _sooooo_……damn, he can't even think of a word……well, if you put it nicely, maybe unpredictable would be it.

_What do you call a little devil that you have to bring with you at all times and have the urge to kill it because it's so damn annoying, yet unbelievable innocent…..well, in some ways……_

"Mr. Riku……"

_Hm……tough call……_

"Oh Mr. Riku……"

_Maybe a bomb that could explode any second?_

"Anybody home in that thick skull of yours?"

_Let's see, she pouts, she whines, she punches hard, she has the urge to kill me all the time, she gets angry in one second……ok, those are the cons……_

"Helloooooo Mr. Riku?!"

_Erm…good points……er……well…she learns fast…at how to kill people but that's not the point……and er……well, she's polite……er……she can hold her own in a fight……she looks really cute with that smile and when she giggles……_

Riku almost face-faulted at that thought, "WOAH!"

And just then, he got clobbered in the head, removing any worries of him ever falling for the "cute" teenager. "Can't you just answer properly for once?!" Yelled Nevaeh.

Riku scowled, "In case you haven't notice, I was THINKING!" _Alright, it wasn't IMPORTANT thinking, but hey, who cares?_

Nevaeh growled, "Don't give me that crap. You were just thinking about some random stuff in that sick mind of yours. I saw the looks on your face."

Riku raised an eyebrow, "Er, _excuse me?!_ What do you mean by sick mind?"

Now it was Nevaeh's turn to be surprised, "Well, you're obviously thinking about lots of random stuff, judging from how your face can change from serious, funny, scowling, pouting, nervous, happy, weird etc in a matter of seconds, so I concluded that you were under some sort of illness and so, I deduced that you had a "sick" mind."

Riku merely sweatdropped at that statement, "Heaven, a sick mind is used to describe someone that's perverted."

"Oh yeah, that too."

"…………"

Nevaeh grinned slyly, "What's the matter Mr. Riku?"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN AND THAT TOO?!"

"Well, perverted refers to someone who has some abnormal attraction to the opposite sex. Well, since you're sick, I obviously _assume_ that you have that symptom as well." Riku would never believe that Heaven could say all that with a straight face. He was proved wrong again.

_Okay, extra good point, never ceases to surprise me, be it in a good or bad way. Or maybe I should put it in the bad points as well……_

"Heaven, assuming makes an ass out of you and me, so please don't go _assuming_ that I'm perverted." _There, that'll shut her up._

Nevaeh then proceeded to grin devilishly, "Ah, but what if I prove those assumptions?"

Riku didn't even have time for a "Huh?" before he was struck hard in the stomach by Nevaeh's keyblade. Obviously, we know the drill and he got sent flying, but Nevaeh intercepted him half way and smashed him onto the ground before yelling, "Firaga!" And **WHOOSH!** A gigantic ball of flame landed directly on top of a winded Riku, and of course, an explosion occurred. Having a magic and damage proof force field added to the Highwind was indeed a smart choice by Sora.

And as Nevaeh landed gracefully back onto the ground, she could help but giggle, "Wow, Mr. Riku! Looks like I was right, you have a fewer don't you? Why else would your body temperature be so high?"

Riku suddenly dashed out of the fire and blasted a similar Firaga at Nevaeh, sending her into the wall this time, "Because you passed the fever on to me Nevaeh." It was his turn to smirk.

Nevaeh pushed herself out of the rubble, which automatically repaired itself and growled, "Well, at least my mind is fine!" And she flash stepped behind Riku, aiming for his head.

Riku knew this was coming and blocked it, "No thanks, my head's healing itself pretty well without your help." And parried her attack before placing her in a hold once more. "Now, now, didn't I tell you that you have to learn to say 'No' to violence?"

Nevaeh snarled and kneed him in the stomach, "You're one to talk Mr. Riku."

With that comment, both charged at each other once more, engaged in a series of quick clashes before both stopped in a dead lock.

Riku sighed and lightly, but deftly pushed Nevaeh aside and dismissed his keyblade. "Heaven, can we just……not fight for once? I'm going back to the bridge now, I reckon we'll be landing soon."

Nevaeh was glaring at him, as if daring him to say another sentence, totally ignoring him. He hated to admit it but she was just so……_argh…don't go there, don't go there…she is NOT cute……no…no…she's beautiful…NO!!_

Riku immediately turned around, not wanting Nevaeh to see his flushed appearance. What he did not expect was Nevaeh latching herself onto his back, arms around his neck and legs around his waist.

Riku twitched, "Heaven……what's the meaning of this?"

"Whatever do you mean Mr. Riku?" she answered, fluttering her eyebrows as if proving that she's really innocent.

"I mean the fact that you're currently preventing me from moving by lacing your limbs around my body? And you say I'm a pervert."

Nevaeh cooed, "But don't friends help us when we are in need? I'm injured! So you have to fulfill your part too!"

Riku's eyebrow twitched even more, "Heaven, no matter how you look at it, I'm the one with more _life-threatening_ injuries here."

Nevaeh grinned, "Ah, but I injured my leg and a gentleman would die for the opportunity to help a lady. Come on, giddy up."

"I'm NOT a horse!"

"I'm going to faint from the blood loss if you don't hurry Mr. Riku."

"LIAR!"

* * *

_**Back in Radiant Garden……**_

Sora yawned as he placed one final stamp on the documents that need to be given to the mayor of Midgar. Radiant Garden and Midgar have established a Trading Market, where both worlds are able to make transactions for businesses. It was Leon's idea and Sora must say it was a very sensible one. Not only did the revenue for Radiant Garden increase by at least thirty percent, they had been getting new furniture and stuff like that, some that no one thought even existed.

He got up and went to the electronic map system. He kept thinking something was amiss. Why did a world appear out of nowhere? There has to be an explanation. He remembered Kairi saying that the new world felt close……whatever that meant.

So he got the menu up, and proceeded to search for the worlds that contained the Princess of Hearts. _Hm…Alice still in Wonderland……Kairi's here……Jasmine's safe in Agrabah……Belle's with Beast in his castle……hm……wait……where are the worlds for Aurora, Snow White and Cinderella? _

Suddenly, his head shot up, "Merlin! I think I know what that world is!"

Merlin poked his head into the room, "Oh? What is it?"

"The world that Riku and Nevaeh are going now……it's the same one as the one where Snow White's from."

At that, Merlin immediately dashed into the room and looked at Sora, with happiness printed all over his face, "What do you base your argument on?"

Sora turned serious, "The world that Snow White is from is called Paramina. It snows on one side of it and is forever sunny on the other side. Not much time difference happens there. And compare the shape of that world to this, we can see that they are at least ninety percent similar. The place where Snow White was last said to be seen was in the Woodland Cottage, with her friends, or so she told Kairi."

Merlin was beaming by now, "Impressive! King Mickey thought that it might take you longer to find out! But do you know why it suddenly appeared here?"

Sora scratched his head, "Well, I kinda have a theory but it seems a little far-fetched. What does the King have to say about this matter?"

Merlin sighed, "The King and Xemnas have been doing research for the past few weeks, yet still it doesn't explain how the worlds could disappear and reappear all of a sudden."

Sora thought for a moment, before opening the door, "Kairi! Namine! Can you guys come in for second? Roxas already knows what I'm thinking. I need you guys to help see if my theory is right."

Sora waited patiently for them to finish whatever they're doing and began, "Last time, when we defeated Xemnas for good and once again rescued all the princesses of Heart, Kairi, you told me that you felt a sense of longing all of a sudden as they disappeared back to their homelands one by one, right?"

Kairi nodded and tilted her head slightly, wondering where this is going. Sora continued, "Well, my theory, is that since heartless attract one another……there's a possibility that the Princess of Hearts want to unite and fight them off as one. Why is Wonderland, Agrabah, Destiny Islands, Beast's Castle already within our sector? The worlds move through the space, yet, we move along with them. We move at the same speed as them, so we can't tell. Yet, what happens when the attraction between Heartless and the bonds between the Princesses of Heart? The worlds change course and move closer to us. I believe that the place where Riku and Nevaeh are going……there's something wrong happening there."

Merlin thought for a moment, "Yes indeed, that is a possibility. So what do you plan on doing for the moment?"

Sora looked at Namine, "I was wondering if Namine and Roxas could travel back to the Castle that Never Was and monitor the east side of our sector. I suspect that Aurora's world might appear around that direction. Kairi and I shall stay here and monitor the west side for Cinderella's world. And well, pray that whatever is happening in Paramina isn't too disastrous……Riku and Nevaeh never did have the best teamwork. If necessary, Merlin, could you please ask Xemnas whether we could borrow a couple of the Organization members to help us out?"

Merlin nodded, and then glanced at Kairi. Kairi looked at Namine. Namine stared at Sora. Sora was confused, "Er…why are you guys looking at me like that?"

Kairi giggled, "Well, we just never figured that you'll grow up. All we remember is the young teenager that used to just charge into battle and make up plans along the way, but now, you're learning to plan ahead.

Sora blinked. "Oh, that wasn't all me. Half of it was Roxas. And er…yeah, he just said I got busted."

Namine raised an eyebrow and looked outside, Roxas was sitting perfectly still, working at a steady pace, which made it all the more suspicious, "Roxie……"

Roxas groaned. _Not that nickname again……_

"Yes, yes, we can speak with our minds. Anyway, come on Namine, time to go." And with that, he dashed out of the door, refusing to answer any more troublesome questions.

Namine sighed and gave a wink at Kairi. After bidding everyone goodbye, she too ran towards the Gummi Hangar, ready to depart for their home.

Sora gave a quick nod at Roxas, before hugging him once and telling him to be careful. He hated to admit it, but he was getting a bit overprotective of his "brother". Roxas appreciated it, but still he couldn't help but feel weird about it.

And so, they left in the ship Belias. Sora stared at the sky for a long time, when suddenly, he felt a pair of arms circle gently around his waist, pulling him in for a hug. He smiled slightly, a playful grin on his lips, he twisted around quickly and grabbed hold of Kairi's waist before swinging her around in circles, laughing all the while.

"Sora! Put me down! Hehe, stop that!" Kairi gently got out of his hold and landed a few metres away safely. Sora grinned as usual, but even an idiot could tell that it was a tad different.

"Sora, what's wrong? Riku and Nevaeh are going to be fine."

Sora sighed, this time looking Kairi directly in the eye, "Not them. You."

Kairi tilted her head, "Huh?"

"Kairi, you're a princess of heart. The worlds' moving signifies that the heartless are on the move once more, but this time, their target includes you. I worried about you. The chasers……I have no idea what could happen. I don't know whether I could protect you, or the others……I don't know what's going on, it's just……the confidence is slipping."

Kairi saw the genuine concern for her in those cerulean orbs. Not playful, not joking, serious. It's times like these that make her feel so…complete. She gently eased into his hug and whispered in his ear, "Well, then I'll have to make sure you regain it then." And gave him a light kiss on the lips before laying her head on his shoulder.

Sora gave a small smile at her playful attitude and looked into the distance.

* * *

_**Back with Riku and Nevaeh……**_

They have finally landed on Paramina, but the scenery was absolutely…beautiful. No other words could adequately describe it. They landed in the area that experiences both the snowy parts of the year and the sunny ones. That area just so happens to be near the Queen's castle.

But right now, the scenery……really…really……well……

"This is just great, isn't it Heaven……"

"Mr. Riku, I don't think I understand your humour here. Or are you genuinely thinking that those black blobs……"

"Heaven, there's a thing in this world called sarcasm…"

"Which you often use Mr. Riku. Not that I find it adequate."

"Fine, then you give a comment for this situation."

"How about "we are screwed."

"Sounds pretty bad."

"It is pretty bad."

"……"

"……"

"Left side or right?"

"Quite the gentleman, aren't you Mr. Riku?"

"Hmph, enjoy this privilege Heaven, for this might be the last time……"

"What's with the pessimism?"

"You actually know that word?"

"That's RUDE!"

"Pft, nothing's rude for you."

"You're going to pay for this offensive speech later Mr. Riku."

"If I survive, sure, glad to see you amuse me some more."

"Haha, so funny, NOT."

"I swear Nevaeh, you act like a child."

"I am a child Mr. Riku. I consider someone my height a child."

"That's not what you said when you wanted to watch that horror movie only for those older than sixteen……"

"Desperate times call for desperate measures. Each to her own."

"Really……"

"Are we going to start or what?"

"Yes, I reckon we've given those……_things_…enough time to lament on their gay past life."

"Mr. Riku, gay actually means happy too."

"…………Heaven…" growled Riku.

"Alright! Let's get working!" And with that, she ignored Riku's glare and charged off right into the sea of one thousand heartless that were currently emerging from the gorgeous lands of Paramina.

* * *

_**Hope it wasn't too cheesy. Not sure if the Riku Nevaeh thing worked out. If it didn't, well, I apologize. I'm seriously unsure if this progress is good enough for you guys, but I reckon I should add more new stuff instead of just copying the storyline once again. **_

_**Thanks to all those that reviewed once again. And if you have any opinions, please review. I seriously need to know whether you guys think this is appropriate. Well then, see ya! XD**_


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